Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva, 25, were tragically killed in a car crash near Zamora in northwestern Spain, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
According to the Spanish Civil Guard, the accident occurred shortly after midnight on an isolated stretch of the A-52 highway, about an hour west of Zamora. The brothers were travelling in a Lamborghini when the vehicle veered off the road and caught fire. Investigators suspect a blown tire may have caused the driver to lose control. No other vehicles were involved.
Emergency services arrived at the scene to contain the blaze, which had also spread to nearby vegetation. The bodies were recovered and are undergoing forensic examination. It remains unclear who was driving.
The news has sent shockwaves across the football world. Jota, whose full name is Diogo Jose Teixeira da Silva, has made 182 appearances for Liverpool since joining from Wolves in 2020. He helped the club lift the Premier League title in May and had also won the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups during his time at Anfield.
Jota was a key player for the Portuguese national team, with 49 international caps and 14 goals, and was part of the squads that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.
His younger brother, Andre Silva, played for Penafiel, a club in Portugal’s lower leagues.
The accident comes just weeks after Jota married his longtime partner Rute Cardoso on June 22. The couple had three young children. In a recent post, Jota had written: “Yes to forever.”
In a statement, Liverpool FC said:
“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. We request the privacy of Diogo and André’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they come to terms with an unimaginable loss.”
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) expressed its sorrow:
“We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football.”
UEFA announced that a minute of silence will be observed at all Euro 2025 matches on Thursday and Friday in honour of the players.
Cristiano Ronaldo, a teammate and close friend, shared a heartfelt message:
“It doesn’t make sense. We were just together with the national team, you had just gotten married. I send my condolences to your family and wish them strength. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you.”
Tributes continue to pour in from clubs, teammates, and fans around the world as the football community mourns the loss of two young lives and careers cut tragically short.
