In Memoriam: Diogo Jota

On July 3, Portuguese footballers Diogo Jota, age 28, and Andre Silva, age 25, passed away in a car accident in Spain. After attempting to overtake another car, the vehicle’s tire blew out, causing it to veer off the road and catch on fire. Jota was driving to a ferry terminal after being advised by a doctor to take a ferry to England instead of flying, due to needing minor lung surgery. Their sudden, tragic deaths sent shockwaves across the football community. Andre Silva had played for FC Porto youth academy and then for Portuguese second division club Penafiel. Diogo Jota played for Liverpool, having won the Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup at the club from 2020 until his passing. In 2018, he helped promote Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Premier League. He also made 49 appearances for the Portuguese national team, scoring 14 times, and winning the UEFA Nations League twice in 2019 and 2025. 

Hailing from Gondomar, Diogo Jota started his career for the Portuguese side Paços de Ferreira, where he made over 40 appearances in the Portuguese first division before moving to Spanish side Atlético Madrid in 2016. Though he didn’t make an appearance for Atlético, he spent two productive years on loan, first at FC Porto, where he scored eight times and even played in the Champions League, and the second at Wolves, where he scored 17 goals and was an instrumental player in Wolves’ promotion that year. In the summer of 2018, he completed a permanent transfer to Wolves, becoming a key part of the club’s transition to the Premier League, where they finished seventh in back-to-back seasons. In the summer of 2020, he signed for Liverpool. Despite multiple injuries, he played his best football for the club, scoring 63 times and assisting 24 in 190 appearances, proving to be both a clinical and clutch forward, winning three trophies in the process. Outside of football, Jota was an avid FIFA player and was even number one in the world at one point.

As a Liverpool fan, Diogo Jota was a personal hero of mine. He was a beloved member of the team. His pace, dribbling, versatility, and clinical finishing made him a joy to watch. Despite being 5-foot-9, he was a threat in the air and never took those abilities for granted, scoring many headers. He was loved even more so because of his infectious personality. His many goals against Arsenal, the 94th-minute winner against Tottenham Hotspur at home, and his beautiful finish in the Merseyside Derby against Everton in April, which ended up being his final goal for Liverpool, are moments that will long live in my memory as a Liverpool supporter. 

His sudden death was a major shock to the sporting world. Yet even through these tough times, it was so beautiful watching the football world come together to celebrate and honor this magical footballer and even better man. During the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Women’s Euros, which were happening at the same time, minutes of silence were observed across all games. Many players paid tribute to Jota after scoring. For example, Kylian Mbappe put up a 20 with his fingers representing the jersey number he wore for Liverpool. Former teammates and coaches wrote beautiful messages remembering him as a person and a friend. Liverpool retired the number 20 in his honor, promised to pay the remainder of his contract, and created a memorial outside the stadium where anyone could lay flowers or personal messages. Rival club Chelsea even donated a share of the Club World Cup prize money to Diogo’s family.

On Friday, August 15, the first game of the Premier League season was Liverpool vs Bournemouth, the first competitive game Liverpool played at home since Jota’s passing. The fans brought scarves and banners commemorating Jota and Silva, including a touching one that said Jota’s wife and kids would always have a home at Anfield. The fans held these scarves and banners aloft before and during a touching rendition of the club’s anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone. A minute of silence followed for both men, and as the players bowed their heads, fans in the stands held up graphics in honor of the brothers, reading “DJ20” and “AS30.” After a tight game which saw Liverpool win 4-2, Salah celebrated his 94th-minute goal by doing one of his former teammates’ celebrations, a gator chomp. After the final whistle, Salah once again faced the fans who serenaded him with Jota’s name and the song they had made for him. This moment hit Salah deeply as he was applauded by supporters with tears in his eyes. 

Diogo Jota was an amazing football player and an even better person who touched the hearts of millions of football fans across the world. Two months before his passing, Jota had won the Premier League; one month before, he had won the Nations League; and a few days before, he had gotten married to the mother of his three children, which makes this all the more heartbreaking. He, his brother, and especially his wife and children will never walk alone. 

His name is Diogo.