What happened to Diogo Jota?Portugal to honor fallen teammate

When Portugal takes the World Cup pitch against DR Congo on Wednesday, June 17 in Houston, they'll be carrying the presence of Diogo Jota with them.

Jota died in a car accident along with his younger brother, Andre Silva, on July 3, 2025. Jota was 28, while Silva was 25.

According to a report published by the BBC at the time, Jota and Silva were driving a yellow Lamborghini and blew out a tire trying to overtake another vehicle, left the road and caught fire.

The tragic death of Jota sent shockwaves across the football world that still reverberate today, especially within the Portuguese national team.

"We've talked about it a lot and we always say the same thing," said Portugal midfielder Rúben Neves.

"Sometimes you need to hold on to something to give you that extra bit of strength. [Jota's memory] will be one of the things that can give us that extra strength at certain moments and help us get where we want to go."

Neves was teammates with Jota at the international and club level, where the two grow particularly close after playing together at FC Porto and Wolves.

Neves will wear No. 21 at the World Cup, the number that Jota wore with Portugal.

Jota made 49 international appearances for Portugal, twice winning the UEFA Nations League. His last appearance for Portugal came just a month before his death, as he helped his country beat Spain in the Nations League final.

The forward joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020, scoring a total of 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club in all competitions. During his time with the Reds, Jota helped the club win FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Premier League titles.

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