Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota has tragically died in a car crash in northern Spain, Spanish newspaper Marca reported on Wednesday. He was 28 years old.
The fatal accident occurred on the A-52 highway in the province of Zamora, a key route used by motorists travelling from northern Portugal into Spain.
According to an official statement by Zamora’s Provincial Council, the crash took place near Palacios de Sanabria. The Rionegro del Puente Fire Station responded to the incident.
Jota was reportedly travelling with his younger brother André Silva, a 26-year-old professional footballer for Penafiel, at the time of the accident. Their car is believed to have come off the road and burst into flames. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The emergency services in the Castilla and León region confirmed the incident in a statement: “The 1-1-2 Castilla y León operations room received several calls reporting a vehicle accident at Km. 65 of the A-52, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A car was reported to have been involved in an accident and the vehicle was on fire.”
The statement added: “1-1-2 notified the Zamora Traffic Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Fire Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Center (CCU) of this accident. From there, a Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and the Primary Care Medical Staff (MAP) from the Mombuey Health Center were sent, who confirmed the death of two people on the scene.”
The news comes just two weeks after Jota married his childhood sweetheart and long-time partner Rute Cardoso in Porto. Cardoso is the mother of their three children. In a joint Instagram post following their wedding on June 22, 2025, the couple wrote, “June 22, 2025. Yes to forever.”
In an interview released yesterday, Jota had described himself as the “luckiest man in the world.”
The confirmation of Jota’s death was issued by Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Football Federation.
In a statement, he said, “The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, this morning, in Spain," reported Daily Mail.
Proenca added, “Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 internationalizations for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.”
He continued, “On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and André Silva, as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where, respectively, lined up the players.”
The federation has formally requested UEFA to hold a minute’s silence in memory of the two footballers ahead of Thursday’s women’s European Championship match between Portugal and Spain.
“Lost to two champs,” Proenca said. “The disappearance of Diogo and Andre Silva represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football and we will do everything to, daily, honor their legacy.”