World Cup 2026: Portugal want to honour Diogo Jota by winning World Cup
Portugal paid a touching tribute to Diogo Jota at the end of their remarkable World Cup victory over Croatia.
It has been a year since Liverpool player Jota died in a car accident in Spain, 11 days after marrying his long-term partner Rute Cardoso.
His brother Andre Silva also died in the accident on July 3, 2025.
At the end of Portugal’s dramatic 2-1 win over Spain to reach the last 16, Cristiano Ronaldo wore a special ’21’ jersey in Jota’s memory, holding the jersey aloft before the team came together.
Before the match, towards the end of the Portuguese national anthem, Jota’s photo appeared on the big screen in Toronto and was greeted with a loud cheer by the fans.
Ronaldo, who played 32 times for Jota for his country, looked emotional as the cameras focused on him.
Before the match, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said “Diogo is our sun and light” and named Jota an honorary ‘plus player’ when he announced his squad in May.
“That’s why we want to win the World Cup.”
Jota, 28, was returning to Liverpool for pre-season when his Lamborghini went off the road after a tire burst while overtaking another vehicle.
The striker, who won the Premier League title two months ago, was traveling to England by car and ferry on the advice of doctors who advised him not to fly as he had undergone minor surgery.
“I still talk to him,” Ruben Neves said of his close friend and former teammate at Porto, Wolves and Portugal, Jota, during the preparations for the match.
“We have a WhatsApp group with Rute and Diogo and that group is still there and we continue to talk there,” he said. Portuguese TV show, external Alta Definicao.
“Whenever something private happens, I archive the conversations on my WhatsApp so I can keep sending him messages.”
