Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota has died in a car crash in northern Spain at the age of 28, just weeks after marrying his longtime partner.
Jota was travelling with his younger brother, André, when their car reportedly veered off the road, crashed, and caught fire. Both men lost their lives at the scene. The accident happened on the A-52 motorway in the province of Zamora, a common route used by drivers heading out of northern Portugal.
The local emergency services in Castilla y León confirmed receiving multiple calls about the incident, which occurred near the town of Cernadilla. A statement said the car was already on fire by the time help arrived. Police, fire crews and medical teams were all deployed to the scene, but there were no survivors.
Jota’s death has sent shockwaves through the football world. Just yesterday, in an interview released to mark his recent wedding, he spoke of his happiness and described himself as “the luckiest man in the world.” He had recently married Rute Cardoso, his childhood sweetheart and mother of his three children.
His passing has triggered an outpouring of grief from fans, teammates, and the wider football community, with tributes pouring in across social media. The Portuguese Football Federation is expected to make a formal statement.
Liverpool FC have not yet released a comment at the time of writing.
This is a developing story.
