Online Reporter
LIVERPOOL star Diogo Jota was reportedly heading to catch a ferry and return to the UK when he died in a car crash alongside his brother.
The 28-year-old Portuguese forward was driving through Zamora, Spain in a Lamborghini when his flat tyre suddenly burst and sent the car veering off the road, police believe.
His brother André Silva, 26, who played for Portuguese second-tier club Penafiel, was also in the car when it caught fire after crashing, killing both men.
Jota had married his high school sweetheart Rute Cardoso just 10 days earlier.
The crash occurred on the A52, near the municipality of Palacios de Sanabria at around 12:40am (11:40pm UK time), local police confirmed.
The dad-of-three was believed to have been driving a luxury Lamborghini Huracan and travelling towards a port in the northern city of Santander.
He was due to catch a ferry this morning after being advised not to take a plane due to a recent lung surgery, according to CNN Portugal.
The Portuguese ace had missed several matches last season after suffering a rib injury in October during a match against Chelsea.
Jota was due to return to Liverpool to take part in the club’s pre season games which start later this month.
The Liverpool star is said to have had lunch with his wife and three children hours before his death in a paradise Atlantic Ocean resort dubbed “the most beautiful land in Portugal.
The footballer and Rute Cardoso were yesterday in Leca da Palmeira in the municipality of Matosinhos, according to Portuguese media reports.
Emergency crews rushed to the crash site in the early hours of the morning and managed to put out the flames.
Both brothers were tragically pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Zamora Provincial Council.
Their bodies were taken to a forensics unit in Zamora so autopsies could be performed.
A spokesman for the sub-delegation of the Government of Zamora said the bodies are yet to be “100% confirmed” as the brothers with fingerprint and DNA tests needing to be carried out.
Police are said to be looking into the crash as “a possible speeding incident”, according to a government source.
Jota played on the left wing and up front for Liverpool after joining from Wolves in 2020 for a fee of £41 million.
Liverpool FC paid a touching tribute to Jota as they said: “Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.”
They added that everyone at the club is still coming to terms with the “unimaginable loss”.
The Portuguese national football team have said they are “devastated” by Jota’s death.
They added that he “was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents”.
Jota had got married just 10 days ago to his longterm partner Rute Cardoso and the couple have three children, Dinis, Duarte, and a daughter who was born in 2024.
The couple shared pictures of themselves in front of the altar with their kids on their big day.
In the caption, they said: “June 22, 2025. Yes to forever.”
