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Tributes pour in from football fans, icons, ex-manager, UK PM & rivals for Liverpool's Diogo Jota
Rivalries were forgotten as fans and officials from other clubs paid their respects.
July 03, 2025, 10:50 PM
Tributes from the world of football and beyond have poured in after news emerged on Jul. 3, 2025 that Diogo Jota, a football player who played for Liverpool Football Club in England and the Portuguese men's national team, died in a car crash while on holiday in Spain. He was 28.
Jota's brother, André Silva, also died in the crash. He was 25 and had played for Penafiel in the second division of the Portuguese football league.
"Devastated" by tragic passing
Liverpool shared a message on their social platforms, stating that the club is "devastated" and asking for privacy for Jota's family and teammates.
Several official accounts of other football clubs left condolence messages on the Facebook post, including West Ham and Middlesbrough in England, Villareal and RC Celta from Spain, and Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund from Germany.
Screenshot from LFC Facebook.
Fans gather at two stadiums
Back in England at Anfield, the home stadium of Liverpool FC, fans gathered to pay tribute, with many leaving flowers and other tokens in memory of the forward.
The flag over the stadium was also lowered to half-mast in tribute.
At Molineux, where Jota spent three seasons with Wolverhampton Wanderers before transferring to Liverpool, fans also gathered to leave flowers and pay their respects.
Screenshot from X (Twitter).
Football legends commemorate Jota's passing
"Heartbroken": Jurgen Klopp
Jota's former manager at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, posted on Instagram that he was "heartbroken."
"This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it!" said the German, who was in charge of the club in 2020 when Jota made his move from Wolverhampton to Liverpool for a total fee of £45 million.
"Doesn't make any sense": Cristiano Ronaldo
Jota's countryman and national team captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, also posted a tribute on Instagram.
Jota had played in the same team as Ronaldo just weeks ago, helping Portugal to success in the UEFA Nation's League tournament.
"Doesn't make any sense," Ronaldo said, sending his condolences to the families of both Jota and his brother.
Liverpool club legends Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher both shared posts about Jota. His club teammate Darwin Nunez also posted a tribute on social media.
"There are no words of comfort for such pain," he said.
Liverpool's rivals, Everton, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea all extended their condolences.
UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the news of Jota's death was "devastating" while Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and the Mayor of the Liverpool city region, Steve Rotheram, both visited Anfield in person to lay flowers.
"It’s heartbreaking. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. It just shows how life events can change really quickly. I’m absolutely devastated for his wife, his children and his family. I can’t imagine what they’re going through at the moment. My son is 28 and it’s just really shocking," said Rayner.
She added that she was sure the whole city would be there to support Jota's family, wife and children.
Background
Jota was born in the city of Porto in 1996 and played for Portuguese club F.C. Paços de Ferreira before making a move to Atletico Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in Spain.
However, he was loaned out again, first to FC Porto and then to Wolverhampton Wanderers in England, where he helped the club in their campaign to be promoted to the Premier League from the EFL Championship.
After his loan, Wolves paid a fee of about £12 million to make the move permanent. Jota made 131 appearances and scored 44 goals for Wolves before Liverpool came calling in 2020.
With Liverpool, Jota was often deployed as a creative forward under Klopp, and won the League Cup (twice), the FA Cup, and the Premier League in 2025 under new manager Arne Slot.
Jota had been with his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, since childhood. The couple had two sons and a daughter together.
They married in late June 2025.
Top image from Liverpool FC Twitter and Diogo Jota Instagram.
