The football fraternity was plunged in gloom at the news of Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota passing away at the age of 28 after a devastating car crash in northern Spain, not even two weeks after his wedding.

Media reports say that he was driving a Lamborghini when the car reportedly suffered a blown tyre while overtaking on the A-52 near Cernadilla in the province of Zamora, close to the Portuguese border. His younger brother Andre Silva (26), a fellow professional footballer who played for Portuguese side FC Penafiel, was also in the vehicle. Both brothers lost their lives in the crash.

Locals said the Lamborghini veered off the road, rolled over, and then burst into flames in the early hours of Thursday morning. Emergency services were called to the scene quickly.

The fatal accident comes just weeks after Jota married Rute Cardoso in Porto on 22 June. The couple, who share three children, looked blissfully happy in wedding photos. Even in his final Instagram post, shared just a day before the accident, Jota called himself “the luckiest man in the world” to be Rute’s husband.

Jota, born in Porto, began his football journey through the youth ranks of Pacos de Ferreira before earning a move to Atletico Madrid in 2016. Immediately after joining the Spanish club, he returned home to join FC Porto for a season-long loan spell and later joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League for another loan spell in 2017/18. 

He left Atletico without representing the club in a single La Liga game, but drew attention quickly with his clinical finishing as he joined Wolves permanently. 

However, it was at Liverpool that Jota reached the peak of his club career. Under Jurgen Klopp, he played a pivotal role in securing both the FA Cup and League Cup, establishing himself as a key figure in Liverpool’s attacking setup.

Jota’s career reached new heights in the 2024-25 season when he played an influential role in helping Liverpool lift the Premier League title under new manager Arne Slot. His achievements extended to the international stage as well where he was part of Portugal’s triumphant squads in the UEFA Nations League in both 2019 and 2025.