Premier League footballer Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, a professional player for Portuguese side Penafiel, have died after being involved in a car crash in Spain.
Local police confirmed to The Athletic the incident occurred at 00:30 local time on Thursday morning on the A-52 — a 400km carriageway running from Madrid to the Spanish region of Galicia, north of Portugal — in the province of Zamora, in north-west Spain.
The Lamborghini car, which was occupied by 28-year-old Jota and Silva, 25, went off the road and suffered an impact, causing the vehicle to catch fire, local authorities confirmed. It is yet to be confirmed which of the two were driving the vehicle at the time of the incident.
Jota was travelling to the port of Santander to get a ferry back to the United Kingdom ahead of his club Liverpool’s return for preseason. He was advised not to travel by plane after recently undergoing a minor surgery.
Jota married long-time girlfriend Rute Cardoso in his home city of Porto, in northern Portugal, around 300km to the west of Zamora at the end of last month. The couple have three children.
A wake is expected in Porto on Friday before a funeral service on Saturday.
“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,” a club statement on Thursday read.
A joint-statement from sporting director Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards, the CEO of football for Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, later revealed plans for tributes over the coming days.
“There is nothing that we can say in this moment to ease the pain of such a devastating tragedy. We all feel utterly bereft right now,” it read. “In such heartbreaking circumstances, it is our responsibility to acknowledge the collective grief we are experiencing, to pay tribute to our Diogo, and to offer unwavering support to his family who remain our absolute priority at this time.
“Diogo’s wife, Rute, their three beautiful children, his parents and wider family are facing an unimaginable loss. This tragic accident has taken not only Diogo, but also his brother, Andre Silva. We mourn them both equally. We must respect the family’s privacy and give them the space to grieve in whichever way they need.
“Of course, we — his Liverpool family — are also struggling to come to terms with what has happened. As his teammates, friends and colleagues, we are consumed by shock and sorrow. We know our supporters, his national team, former clubs and teammates and the wider football community share in this grief. This is a tragedy that transcends Liverpool Football Club.
“In the coming days, we as a club will look to honour our beloved number 20 with the respect and affection he so richly deserves. We will strive to make these tributes meaningful and inclusive of our supporters, to whom Diogo meant so much.
“For now, we express a love that is filled with deep sorrow and pain. We have lost someone truly irreplaceable. Rest in peace, Diogo.”
Penafiel also released a statement on Thursday.
“Futebol Clube Penafiel expresses its deepest sympathy for the tragic death of Andre Silva and his brother Diogo Jota, victims of a road accident in the last few hours,” the club said.
“The loss of two young lives so closely linked to the world of football fills us with pain and dismay. At this difficult time, Penafiel would like to extend its deepest condolences to the family, friends and all those who shared moments of life and passion for sport with Andre and Diogo.
“The club will declare official mourning and pay tribute at upcoming fixtures. Rest in peace.”
A statement from Pedro Proenca, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, said that the “whole of Portuguese football are completely devastated” by the news.
“Much more than a fantastic player, with almost 50 caps for the national team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all his team-mates and opponents, someone with a contagious joy and a reference point in his own community,” read the statement, which offered condolences to Liverpool and Penafiel.
“On behalf of myself and the Portuguese Football Federation, I would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and Andre Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs the players played for respectively.
“We’ve lost two champions. The deaths of Diogo and Andre Silva represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy on a daily basis.”
European football’s governing body UEFA has confirmed a moment of silence will be observed at all of Thursday and Friday’s matches at the Women’s European Championship in Switzerland, including Portugal’s opening game with Spain. There will be a similar tribute held ahead of the upcoming Club World Cup quarter-finals in the United States, FIFA have confirmed.
Andre Silva was a professional footballer with Penafiel in Portugal (Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
Jota, whose full name was Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, signed for Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2020 for a fee of £45million and went on to become a fixture of the side under former manager Jurgen Klopp. He helped the team win both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup in his second season at the club and reach the final of the Champions League.
Used as a centre-forward as well as a winger, as a starter and off the bench, Jota made 182 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 65 times. In the 2024-25 season, head coach Arne Slot’s first season at the club, Jota scored nine goals in all competitions as Liverpool won the Premier League, the first league title of Jota’s career. His squad number, 20, matched the club’s historic number of titles. His final goal for the club was the winner over Everton in the Merseyside derby on April 2.
After progressing through the youth system at Portuguese club Pacos de Ferreira, from the Porto District, Jota made his debut for the senior side in 2014 and went on to make 47 appearances for the club.
Jota was signed by Atletico Madrid in 2016 but was loaned out to Porto in August of that year, where he scored nine goals in 38 appearances.
The forward joined then-Championship side Wolves on loan for 2017-18, helping them achieve promotion to the Premier League as champions. His move to Molineux was made permanent in January 2018, departing Atletico without ever featuring for the team.
He scored nine league goals in his first top flight season with Wolves, helping the side achieve their best ever Premier League league finish of seventh and qualify for the Europa League, their first European campaign since 1980-81. Another seventh-place finish followed in 2019-20, Jota’s final season at Wolves. He scored 44 goals in 131 appearances for the club.
A Portugal international since 2019, Jota was capped 49 times and scored 14 goals, winning the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025. His final game for Portugal came in the final of that competition last month, coming on as a substitute in the second half of extra-time as they beat Spain on penalties.
Wolves, Jota’s first club in English football, said the forward was “adored by our fans, loved by his team-mates and cherished by everyone who worked with him”. The club added: “You will be truly missed, and always remembered.”
Atletico Madrid said the club were “shocked by the tragic news” of the passing of their former player.
Manchester United posted: “Our deepest condolences are with the loved ones of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre, and everyone connected with Liverpool FC following today’s heartbreaking news.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot described “the sense of shock” at the club following “an unimaginable loss”. “All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about,” he said in a statement.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who signed him, said he was “heartbroken” by the news.
“This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it,” he said on Instagram. “I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre.
“Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father! We will miss you so much! All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace — Love.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s international teammate, said: “To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. R.I.P. Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.”
Jota’s brother, Andre Silva, played for Portuguese second division side Penafiel, from the Porto District.
Silva played for Porto’s youth teams up to under-17 level, before in 2017 joining Pacos de Ferreira, where his elder brother Diogo had played for the first team in the previous two seasons.
The midfielder later had spells at Familicao and Boavista, but did not play at first-team level and was involved in the under-23 squad for both clubs.
In 2021, Silva joined lower division side Gondomar, where he spent two seasons, before moving to Penafiel in July 2023.
Porto posted they were in “shock and deep regret” at the passing of both players while Pacos de Ferreira spoke of the “profound pain” at the events surrounding “two extraordinary people” who “stood out for their humility, responsibility and immense dedication to the club they represented.”
“Diogo Jota became a reference point at our club,” they added. “A player with the attitude of a champion who reached the highest level of professional football. Since his time here he has been an example to all of the players who we welcomed into our academy every year — players who dreamed of playing on the global stage one day.
“To all of our fans he was also an example of the desire, commitment and soul that characterise this club. He is one of us, and even the distance never broke the connection. This was his club, he never hid that fact. His name is part of our history. It always will be. And we will do everything to keep his story, his legacy alive.”
Additional reporting: Guillermo Rai, Jack Lang, Sam Joseph
(Top photo of Diogo Jota while playing for Liverpool: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
