Liverpool and Portuguese national team striker Diogo Jota has died along with his brother, André Silva, in a car accident near Zamora, Spain, early Thursday morning, the Civil Guard informed The Associated Press. He was 28 years old.
The news was confirmed by the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
The tragic event occurs a few weeks after Jota married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.
The Spanish Civil Guard confirmed that Jota and his brother were found dead after their car ran off the road near the Spanish city.
Authorities are investigating the causes of the incident, and indicated that no other vehicles were involved. The Provincial Council of Zamora, which was the first to report the accident, indicated that the car caught fire.
Jota played 182 matches with Liverpool since he arrived from Wolves in 2020. In May, he lifted the Premier League title, after having previously won the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups in his five years at the club.
He began his career at the Portuguese Paços de Ferreira and also played for Atlético de Madrid and FC Porto.
Furthermore, Jota was an international player for Portugal 49 times, winning the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and again last month, scoring 14 goals.
His brother, André Silva, 25 years old, was also a professional footballer, playing in the Portuguese lower division club Penafiel.
The Portuguese Football Federation and the entire Portuguese football community are devastated by the death of Diogo Jota and André Silva in Spain this morning.
The FPF added: “Diogo Jota was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 international matches, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents. He had a contagious joy and was a reference point in his own community.”
The Portuguese Football Federation has requested UEFA to observe a minute of silence before the national team’s match against Spain in the Women’s European Championship on Thursday.
We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything possible to honor their legacy every day.
