Portugese national team player Andre Silva was among footballers and politicians to attend the public wake in Gondomar

Crowds Mourn Liverpool Star Diogo Jota and Brother After Fatal Car Crash

Crowds Mourn Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and Brother Andre Silva in Portuguese Hometown

Thousands of mourners gathered in Gondomar, Portugal, on Friday to pay their respects to Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, following their tragic deaths in a car crash.

The brothers died on Thursday after the Lamborghini they were travelling in crashed in Zamora, Spain. Jota, 28, had been returning to Liverpool for pre-season training after undergoing minor surgery and was advised against flying.

Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, and national team stars including Joao Moutinho, Diogo Dalot, and Ricardo Horta joined grieving fans in Gondomar.

“It’s not about where we come from but where we’re going to,” read a sign at Gondomar SC’s academy, named after Jota in 2022.

Shirts, scarves, candles, and handwritten notes were laid outside the academy and the family chapel, where a private vigil was held before it opened for a public wake.

The funeral will take place on Saturday at 10:00 local time at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.

Liverpool and Football World in Mourning

Getty Images A man stands in front of a memorial for Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, set up at the Gondomar Sport Clube's stadium

Liverpool FC described Jota’s death as a “tragedy that transcends the club” and cancelled pre-season fitness tests planned for Friday. Training will now resume in phases from Monday.

At Anfield, fans created a memorial with flowers and scarves. Former captain Jordan Henderson, in tears, laid a wreath reading:

“Rest in peace my friend, along with your brother Andre. We will all miss you.”

Supporters broke into spontaneous renditions of Jota’s chant, with many vowing it will be sung “forever more” throughout the season.

Former Liverpool councillor Peter Millea said:

“He was one of those players you instantly took to, because of his conduct on and off the pitch and the crucial goals he scored.”

Tributes also poured in from Wolverhampton Wanderers, where Jota starred before joining Liverpool, and at Wimbledon, where Portuguese tennis player Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon in his honour.

A minute’s silence was observed ahead of Denmark’s Euro 2025 qualifier against Sweden.

A Career and Life Cut Short

PA Media Tributes at Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool, in memory of Diogo Jota who has died at the age of 28.

Jota, a father of three, married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso just 11 days before the crash.

The 28-year-old had enjoyed a glittering year, winning the Premier League with Liverpool and the Nations League with Portugal.

His brother Andre, 24, was also a professional footballer, playing in Portugal’s second division.