Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva from Liverpool pass away in a car crash.
A vehicle collision in Spain has killed Liverpool Premier League player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who plays professionally for the Portuguese team Penafiel.
The occurrence took place in Zamora, in northwest Spain, at 00:30 local time on Thursday morning on the A-52, a 400 km roadway that connects Madrid to the Spanish province of Galicia, north of Portugal, as confirmed to The Athletic by the local police.
According to local officials, the car, which Silva, 25, and Jota, 28, were in, left the road, crashed, and caught fire. Which of the two was driving the car during the incident is still unknown.
In his hometown of Porto, which is located around 300 kilometers west of Zamora in northern Portugal, Jota recently tied the knot with his longtime partner Rute Cardoso. The pair have three children.
Diogo Jota’s untimely demise has left Liverpool Football Club heartbroken, according to a club statement released on Thursday.
“As they attempt to come to terms with an unfathomable loss, Liverpool FC will be making no further comments at this time and asks that the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates, and club employees be respected. We will keep giving them our undivided support.
On Thursday, Penafiel also issued a statement.
“Futebol Clube Penafiel extends its sincerest condolences to the family of Andre Silva and his brother Diogo Jota, who were killed in a terrible car accident in the past few hours,” the club said.
“We are heartbroken and horrified by the death of two young people who were so closely connected to the football community. During this trying time, Penafiel would like to express its sincere sympathies to the family, friends, and everyone who shared life experiences and a passion for sports with Andre and Diogo.
“At future games, the club will announce official mourning and pay tribute. May you rest in peace.”
According to a statement from the Portuguese Football Federation’s president, Pedro Proenca, the news has utterly devastated the “whole of Portuguese football.”
Diogo Jota, who had nearly 50 caps for the national team, was a remarkable individual who was well-liked by his teammates and opponents, someone who exuded infectious happiness, and a role model in his own community, not simply a great player. The statement expressed condolences to Liverpool and Penafiel.
“On behalf of myself and the Portuguese Football Federation, I extend our sincere sympathies to the family and friends as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the teams for which the players played, respectively.
“We’ve lost two champions. We will do all in our power to celebrate Diogo and André Silva’s legacy every day because their passing is an irreparable loss for Portuguese football.
In addition to Portugal’s debut match against Spain, a moment of silence will be observed at all games on Thursday and Friday at the Women’s European Championship in Switzerland, UEFA, the governing body for European football, has announced.
In September 2020, Jota joined Liverpool for £45 million from Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he had established himself as a regular under former manager Jurgen Klopp. In his second season with the team, he helped them win the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup as well as make it to the Champions League final.
Jota scored 65 goals in 182 games for Liverpool, playing in a variety of positions, including center forward and winger, both as a starter and off the bench. As Liverpool captured the Premier League, the first league championship of Jota’s career, Jota scored nine goals across all competitions during head coach Arne Slot’s debut season at the club in 2024–25. The number 20, which was also the club’s legendary total of championships, was his squad number. His ultimate objective for the club was the victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby on April 2.
Jota began his career at Portuguese club Pacos de Ferreira, which is located in the Porto District, and advanced through the youth ranks before making his senior team debut in 2014. He went on to play 47 games for the team.
In August 2016, after joining Atletico Madrid, Jota was sent to Porto, where he played in 38 games and netted nine goals.
For the 2017–18 season, the striker joined Wolves on loan, who were then in the Championship, and assisted them in winning the league title and earning promotion to the Premier League. He left Atletico in January 2018 without ever playing for them, and he eventually made his transfer to Molineux permanent.
In his debut season in the top division with Wolves, he netted nine league goals, which helped the team secure their best-ever Premier League league result of seventh place and earn a spot in the Europa League, which was their first European campaign since 1980–81. In 2019–20, Jota’s last season with Wolves, he placed seventh once more. He made 131 appearances for the team, scoring 44 goals.
Jota, a Portuguese international since 2019, earned 49 caps and 14 goals, capturing the UEFA Nations League title in 2019 and 2025. During the championship’s final game last month, he made his last appearance for Portugal, entering the game in the second half of extra time as a substitute as they defeated Spain in a penalty shootout.
Jota’s first team in English football, Wolves, described the forward as “adored by our fans, loved by his teammates, and cherished by everyone who worked with him.” “You will be truly missed, and always remembered,” the club said.
The death of their former player left Atletico Madrid “shocked by the tragic news,” according to the club.
Following today’s devastating news, Manchester United shared, “Our deepest condolences are with the loved ones of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre, and everyone connected with Liverpool FC.”
Jurgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager who brought him in, expressed his sadness at the news.
“This is a time when I’m having trouble! There must be a larger goal! On Instagram, he said, “I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother André, but I can’t see it.
“Not only was Diogo an amazing player, but he was also a wonderful buddy, a loving and caring husband and father!” You will be missed terribly! I send all my thoughts, prayers, and energy to Rute, the children, the family, the friends, and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace—Love.
“My condolences to your family, your wife, and your children, and I pray for them all the strength in the world,” said Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s international teammate. I’m sure you’ll always be there for them. Diogo and Andre, rest in peace. We will miss you terribly.”
From the Porto District, Andre Silva, Jota’s brother, played for the Portuguese second division team Penafiel.
Silva played for Porto’s youth teams up to the under-17 level before joining Pacos de Ferreira in 2017, where his older brother Diogo had previously played for the first team for the previous two seasons.
Afterwards, the midfielder was a member of the under-23 teams at both Familicao and Boavista, where he did not participate at the first-team level.
Silva joined Gondomar, a team in the lower division, in 2021, where he remained for two seasons before joining Penafiel in July 2023.
The passing of both players left Porto in “shock and deep regret,” while Pacos de Ferreira expressed the “profound pain” brought about by the circumstances surrounding “two extraordinary people” who “stood out for their humility, responsibility and immense dedication to the club they represented.”
They continued, “Diogo Jota became a reference point at our club. A player an attitude of a champion who reached the highest level of professional football. He has served as an example to all the players who we have welcomed into our academy each year—players who have aspired to perform on the world stage someday—ever since his time here.
“He was also a representation of the passion, dedication, and spirit that define this club to all of our supporters. Even though we are far apart, we are still connected to him. He never made a secret of the fact that it was his club. Our history includes his name. It will always be. We will also make every effort to ensure that his tale and legacy endure.
