Mourners to gather in Portugal for wake of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota
Less than two weeks ago Jota, who was 28, married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso. The couple have three children together.
Jose Manuel Macedo, parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, told the PA news agency in a translated message that a wake for the brothers will take place at 8am at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao before their funeral at the Igreja Matriz on Saturday at 10am.
According to BBC Sport, Jota was returning for pre-season training next week via ferry after being advised not to fly following minor surgery.
Liverpool's 'heartbroken' players have spoken of their pain in paying tribute to their team-mate.
Reds captain Virgil van Dijk said on Instagram he was 'absolutely devastated and in total disbelief.'
The Dutch defender wrote in a post alongside a picture of Jota with the Premier League trophy: 'What a human being, what a player, but most importantly what an unbelievable family man.
'You meant so much to all of us and you always will! For your family to lose two sons, a husband and a father is just unimaginable. So cruel and unfair.
'My heart is breaking for all of your beautiful family, for Rute and for your kids. I promise you that in these difficult times and beyond we will always be there for your family.
'A champion forever, number 20 forever. It's been a privilege to have stood by your side on the pitch, and to have been your friend off it.
'We will miss you beyond words and never forget you. Your legacy will live on, we will make sure of it! Rest in perfect peace Diogo & Andre.'
Andy Robertson, one of the players with the longest association with Jota, also paid an emotional tribute.
'The ones I'm thinking about most right now are the family. Their loss is too much to bear. I'm so sorry that they have lost two such precious souls – Diogo and Andre,' he posted on Instagram.
'For the team and the club, we'll try to cope with this together… however long that takes.
'For me, I want to talk about my mate. My buddy. The bloke I loved and will miss like crazy. I could talk about him as a player for hours, but none of that feels like it matters right now.
'It's the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real.
'Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun. He was the most British foreign player I've ever met.
'I can't believe we're saying goodbye. It's too soon, and it hurts so much. But thank you for being in my life, mate – and for making it better.'
'Heartbroken' former manager Jurgen Klopp, for whom his Christian faith has played a big part in his life, wrote on Instagram: 'This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can't see it!'
Liverpool, who are supporting Jota's family, have opened a book of condolence, both physical in the Anfield Road Stand and online, lowered flags to half-mast and closed all stores and the museum and suspended all tours until Monday.
UEFA announced a moment of silence would be observed at Women's Euro 2025 matches on Thursday and Friday, while the 'devastated' Portuguese Football Federation said: 'Diogo Jota was not only a fantastic player…but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his team-mates and opponents.
'We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day.'
Fans left wreaths, scarves and shirts at a makeshift shrine outside Anfield, with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, attending a conference in Liverpool, among those to lay flowers in person. There were similar scenes outside Molineux.
'He left this club as a star, and he will always be a star in our eyes.'
— Wolves (@Wolves) July 3, 2025
Local police, investigating the accident at 1230am on Thursday in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora, said: 'In the absence of a conclusion of the experts' evidence, everything points that a car left the road, due to a tyre blowout while overtaking.'
Jota won 49 caps and scored 14 goals for Portugal, last month winning the Nations League for a second time.
International team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo wrote on X: 'It doesn't make sense. Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you had gotten married.
'To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in Peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.'
Não faz sentido. Ainda agora estávamos juntos na Seleção, ainda agora tinhas casado. À tua familia, à tua mulher e aos teus filhos, envio os meus sentimentos e desejo-lhes toda a força do mundo. Sei que estarás sempre com eles. Descansem em Paz, Diogo e André. Vamos todos sentir… pic.twitter.com/H1qSTvPoQs
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 3, 2025
Jota scored 65 goals in 182 Liverpool appearances, nine coming last season as Arne Slot's side won the Premier League title, having previously lifted the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
He signed for Wolves, initially on loan, from Atletico Madrid in 2017 and helped win the Championship in his first season, ultimately scoring 44 goals in 131 appearances.
Jota's career began at Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreira before moving to Atletico, where he did not play a game but was loaned out to Porto.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Chelsea Club World Cup tickets available for £8
Tickets for Chelsea's Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras are on sale for just £8.17 ($11.15) amid concerns over another low attendance at the newly-expanded tournament in the United States. They are among the cheapest tickets at the Club World Cup to date, although some have gone for as low as £3.60 ($5) for matches involving minnows in the group stage. Sources have explained that Fifa expected a lower attendance because of a free Fourth of July parade and concert, taking place at the same time in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was drafted in matches have not been well-attended outside of the group-stage game in Philadelphia against Flamengo that saw 54,019 inside Lincoln Financial Field. Matches against Los Angeles FC, ES Tunis and Benfica had crowds of 22,137, 32,967 and 25,929, respectively - leaving stadiums more than half-empty in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Charlotte. Several Chelsea fans have told BBC Sport that they have seen tickets refunded and offered back at lower rates after complaints about the dynamic pricing structure, common at US-based sporting events, being used in the competition. A mixture of reasons have been cited, including extreme heat and thunderstorms for supporters, a potential lack of interest, kick-off times when the majority of US-based fans are working, poor marketing locally and initial high prices of more than $200 set by Fifa when announcing the matches in December. Tickets prices for Real Madrid's quarter-final with Borussia Dortmund in New Jersey on Saturday start at $183.40 (£134.37), while the most affordable for Paris St-Germain versus Bayern Munich are currently listed at $83.65 (£61.29) in Atlanta. However, after both Manchester City and Inter Milan suffered upsets in the round of 16, the upcoming Al Hilal against Fluminense tie in Orlando, Florida has tickets from $11.15 (£8.17). The cheapest ticket for the final was $732 (£536.31) but is now going for $390 (£285.74).
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Family and friends gather at Diogo Jota's wake as queue forms outside chapel
The father of three, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso 11 days before the accident, was killed alongside his brother, Andre Silva, after a Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in the early hours of Thursday morning. The brothers' parents attended the Sao Cosme Chapel, the Capela da Ressurreicao, in the town of Gondomar near Porto on Friday, with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Jota's agent also among attendees. Some mourners embraced and cried before entering the venue as floral tributes of yellow and white and candles were lain by a tree outside. People cried as they made their way to pay their respects (PA) People held service sheets featuring pictures of both brothers, the largest one showing Jota smiling in his Liverpool FC shirt and making a heart sign with his hands. One man came to pay his respects wearing a Liverpool top. The wake comes ahead of their funeral, which parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, Jose Manuel Macedo, said would begin at 10am on Saturday. Liverpool Football Club postponed the return of players for pre-season following Jota's death, as a number of players past and present paid tribute. The club's manager, Arne Slot, said the 'sense of shock is absolute', adding: 'He was a loved one to all of us.' Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson returned to Anfield with flowers and a club scarf on Friday as he paid his own tribute to Jota. A sea of floral tributes had been left outside the ground, with many Liverpool fans and supporters of other clubs looking to pay their respects. Flags have been lowered to half-mast at the stadium and all club stores, museums and tours have been closed until Monday, with staff offered wellbeing support. Liverpool forward Mo Salah said the loss has made the prospect of returning to the club frightening. One man wore a Liverpool shirt to pay his respects (PA) He shared a black and white picture of him and Jota hugging on the pitch on social media, saying: 'I am truly lost for words. 'Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break. 'Team mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back.' Jota and Silva were both found dead after the car crashed on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday. Police said they were investigating the possibility that the Lamborghini left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking, and a source from the government sub-delegation in Zamora confirmed 'a possible speeding incident' was being looked at. Jota was killed in a car crash on Thursday (Mike Egerton/PA) Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle. No other vehicles are said to have been involved in the incident. The club has opened physical and digital books of condolence in the wake of the deaths, and supporters and members of the public can go to the Anfield Road Stand reception area over the coming days to sign a message. The online book can be found at
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Reid revs up for Wimbledon with LTA's Lexus British Open title
The Scottish wheelchair tennis star, 33, joined forces with long-term partner Alfie Hewett to decisively down Martin De la Puente and Ruben Spaargaren in the men's doubles final. The dynamic duo, who have won a remarkable 23 Grand Slam titles together, dropped just two games in waltzing to a 6-0 6-2 triumph to head into next week's SW19 showpiece with momentum. Reid hailed the LTA for putting on the Grand Slam precursor and hopes it will stand him and Hewett in perfect stead for their All England Club title defence. 'We're very happy with the performance today and happy with the result,' he said. 'Those guys (De la Puente and Spaargaren) are a dangerous team so we had to play well and I think we did that today. 'It's great preparation for all of us to be here on these courts this week, so big thanks to Kirsty (Thomson, LTA Tournament Director) and the team for a great event.' Reid had lost to Hewett, a 33-time Grand Slam champion, in the singles semi-finals the previous day in south-west London. But they put aside their differences to beat Daniel Caverzaschi and Zhenxu Ji and book their place in the final later on Thursday afternoon. There they met Spaniard De la Puente and Dutch player Spaargaren, who battled admirably but were unable to prevent the all-British duo from comfortably closing out yet another title. Hewett heads into Wimbledon as both the defending singles and doubles champion after memorably grabbing a pair of triumphs on home soil last year. Earlier in the day in Roehampton, the 27-year-old had rousingly rallied from behind to beat experienced Argentine Gustavo Fernandez and also clinch singles glory to prepare for his SW19 title defence. And he reckons that 2-6 6-4 6-4 triumph can set the perfect blueprint for more hometown success. 'I have to try and perform at the same level and intensity I did in the second and third sets today,' he said. 'There are a lot of strong players and this week was the perfect opportunity to test myself. 'I take a lot of confidence from it but next week is an even bigger one to try and manage. 'I'm delighted - playing on home turf is a really special feeling and you want to do as well as you can, especially in the lead up to an event like Wimbledon. 'It's been a great week – I've been building as it's gone on which is what you want to do.' For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
