Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain

Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota has died in a car crash in Spain aged 28.

The Spanish civil guard said he was found dead alongside his brother, Andre Silva, after their car went off the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday.

The Zamora provincial council said the vehicle, reported in the Spanish press to be a Lamborghini, “ran off the road and caught fire, which spread to the surrounding vegetation”.

Spanish media also reported that the car left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking.

Jota married his long term partner Rute Cardoso in Portugal on June 22, just 11 days before the accident.

Liverpool said the club was “devastated” by the news and that it was an “unimaginable loss”.

The Portuguese Football Federation also said it was “devastated” to learn of the deaths, adding: “Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football.”

Police said no other vehicles were involved in the incident.

Liverpool fans started leaving tributes outside Anfield on Thursday morning – with flowers being left with messages such as “thanks for everything, Diogo”.

Jota was part of Liverpool’s Premier League-winning side in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals in 26 appearances.

In a statement, the Portuguese national team said: “Diogo Jota was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents.

“He had a contagious joy and was a reference point in his own community.”

Jota and his wife got together in 2013, it has been reported, and have three children together – two sons and a daughter who was born in November.

He frequently shared pictures of him and his family on his Instagram account, while his wife has posted images of their holidays in Dubai and Lapland.

They also have three pet beagles.

On Wednesday, Jota and Cardoso, 28, posted video footage of their wedding, with the caption: “A day we will never forget.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the Commons the whole House “is heartbroken by this news”, adding: “I wanted to send our sympathies to his family on behalf of the whole House.”

Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said he was “heartbroken” by the news and that Jota’s death was a “huge loss to our city and the world of football.”

Published: 03/07/2025 by Radio NewsHub