Cristiano Ronaldo's heartbreaking reason he did not attend Diogo Jota's funeral
Cristiano Ronaldo was not in attendance at the funeral of Diogo Jota on Saturday morning as he didn't want to overshadow his teammates final farewell.
The Liverpool forward was laid to rest alongside his brother Andre Silva at a church in Gondomar, near the Portuguese city of Porto after the pair tragically died alongside each other in a horror car crash in Spain.
Jota's Liverpool teammates and players from the Portugal national team, as well as former teammates from Wolves were all among mourners who travelled to Portugal to pay their respects.
As the Mirror reports, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk and Scotland captain Andy Robertson were seen carrying red floral tributes into the church. Portugal stars Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and best pal Ruben Neves were also present inside the Chapel of Resurrection.
Neves, who starred alongside Jota for Wolves and Portugal helped carry the coffin into the church, having flown over from the United States after playing at the Club World Cup less than 24 hours earlier.
However, one notable absentee, was Ronald who is Portugal captain. Mirror football understands Ronald was wary of his presence in the tiny town of Gondomar overshadowing the day. He has reportedly been keeping a low profile in recent days, surrounded by his family.
Ronaldo was quick to pay an emotional tribute to Jota on social media after the tragic news broke of his death on Thursday.
The world superstar wrote: "It doesn't make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just 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."
Van Dijk and Robertson were joined by fellow Liverpool stars Curtis Jones, Alexis MacAllister, Harvey Elliott, Watura Endo, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and manager Arne Slot.
Ex-Liverpool players in Caoimhin Kelleher, Jordan Henderson and James Milner were also present.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Jota and his brother died after the Lamborghini they were travelling in spun off the road in north west Spain and caught fire in the early hours of Thursday morning. The funeral followed a private wake on Friday, which was attended by Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who he married last month, and the player's family.
Reacting to the heartbreaking news, the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement: '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 team-mates and opponents. He had a contagious joy and was a reference point in his own community.
'On behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation and myself, I would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Diogo and Andre as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the respective clubs of the players.
'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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Tickets for Chelsea vs Fluminense slashed to less than the price of a beer as FIFA seek to avoid empty seats at Club World Cup semi-final
Football fans wanting to head to MetLife Stadium for Chelsea 's Club World Cup semi-final against Fluminense on Tuesday can now snap up tickets for less than the cost of a beer at the ground. Prices for standard admission to the match were slashed to just $13.40 (£10.50) on Saturday, a fraction of the $473.90 (£373) that fans were being asked to pay less than three days earlier. It means supporters could pay less for a ticket than for a pint of beer at MetLife, where a cold one can set you back $14 (£11). The dramatic price drop comes as FIFA battles to avoid swathes of empty seats at the newly expanded Club World Cup in the United States. The tournament, being held for the first time in its new 32-team format, has seen fluctuating crowds, with some group games witnessing tens of thousands of empty seats despite heavy promotion. MetLife has already hosted five matches at this summer's tournament with widely varying attendances. While 76,611 fans packed in to watch Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund on Saturday — the biggest attendance of the Club World Cup so far — other fixtures have struggled to draw similar crowds, with figures including 35,179 (Palmeiras vs Al Ahly), 39,893 (Porto vs Al Ahly), 34,736 (Fluminense vs Dortmund) and 29,321 (Fluminense vs Ulsan). Tuesday's semi-final will be the sixth of nine matches to be staged at MetLife during the tournament, with FIFA keen to ensure a strong turnout. To boost attendances, FIFA has employed a dynamic pricing model, resulting in ticket prices swinging wildly in the build-up to matches. Prices for Chelsea's clash with Fluminense initially remained high but tumbled sharply over the weekend, while tickets in the lower ring — typically among the most expensive — also dropped to around $44.60 (£35) for the game. In a further effort to improve attendance, FIFA volunteers were offered complimentary tickets for quarter-final matches last week, despite some being told earlier that free entry would not be available. The pricing strategy has left some early buyers frustrated, with fans who purchased tickets at the original high prices now seeing seats available for as little as three per cent of what they paid. FIFA has not confirmed whether those who bought tickets earlier at inflated prices will receive any refund or discount. Despite the challenges, the recent round of fixtures has seen an uptick in crowds, with Chelsea's quarter-final win over Palmeiras nearly selling out Lincoln Financial Field, and PSG's victory over Bayern Munich drawing close to 67,000 fans in Atlanta. FIFA is under pressure to demonstrate the tournament's viability to clubs, broadcasters and sponsors ahead of future editions, with president Gianni Infantino keen to position the expanded Club World Cup as a major fixture on the football calendar. The governing body has invested heavily in promoting the Club World Cup, including a substantial marketing budget in the US, and is planning to use a similar dynamic pricing model for next summer's men's World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Daily Mirror
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool confirm new pre-season start date with tributes planned to Diogo Jota
Liverpool players will report back to the club's training ground on Tuesday - but a decision is yet to be made on whether their opening pre-season friendly will go ahead. The first group of Reds had been due to report back on Friday, with a larger contingent returning on Monday July 7. However, the tragic death of Diogo Jota on Thursday saw the club postpone the start of their training schedule. Jota, 28, and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a car crash in Spain on Thursday morning. They had been travelling across Spain to catch a ferry from Santander to Portsmouth, with the Portugal international due to return to the club on Monday. The majority of Arne Slot's first-team squad attended their funeral on Saturday in the small Portuguese town of Gondomor, j oining a delegation of senior club officials who had visited the player's wake on Friday night. The Premier League champions are now set to return to the club's AXA Training Centre on Tuesday to begin their pre-season. Liverpool's first friendly of the summer is currently scheduled for Sunday July 13 against Preston North End at Deepdale. However, a decision regarding whether the match will proceed has not yet been made. A decision will only be finalised once the team have returned for pre-season training and after all players and staff have been consulted, as they continue to mourn their close friend and colleague. Preston are currently preparing in anticipation of the match proceeding, which would be their first home friendly of the summer. The Championship side will maintain communication with the Premier League champions and are leaving the decision on the game to Liverpool and their players. It is understood that Preston are organising tributes to Jota at Deepdale, should the fixture go ahead. Jota's funeral took place at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar catholic church on Saturday morning. Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, Darwin Nunez, Ryan Gravenberch, Federico Chiesa and manager Arne Slot were among those to attend. Ex-Liverpool players in Caoimhin Kelleher, Jordan Henderson and James Milner were also present. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Lionel Messi decision defended by Inter Miami boss amid strange criticism
Lionel Messi starred in Inter Miami's win over Montreal as they return to action in Major League soccer but Javier Mascherano saw a choice questioned on Saturday evening Javier Mascherano was in the rare position of being forced to defend his decision to play Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami boss allowed the Argetina star to complete 90 minutes in a comfortable win over Montreal. Mascherano 's side secured a significant advantage when Messi scored his second goal of the game to make the score 4-1 in Canada. The MLS giants were unable to increase the scoreline as they earned three points on their return from Club World Cup action where they failed to make it past Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 of the tournament. And former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Mascherano was asked why he persisted with Messi, 38, on the field rather than taking the opportunity to manage his minutes on Saturday evening. The 41-year-old offered some simple reasoning. "We have to understand that Leo is happiest when he's playing football," Mascherano said. "Every time he's fit, he's going to want to play - and we're going to let him. "He gives us a huge advantage when he's on the pitch, and of course, we want to make the most of it." Mascherano did concede that his team had a hectic fixture list coming up as they face New England Revolution, Nashville, FC Cincinnati and New York Red Bulls in the space of 10 days. And that was why the coach was pleased to claim a victory over Montreal. "We have consecutive games coming up, and we'll need every player ready. Whoever gets the chance has to be prepared," he said. 'This was an important match - Montreal was coming in with good momentum, but our team rose to the occasion." Messi's presence for away games has formed a major talking point since he arrived in MLS from PSG. The contender for the title of best player ever has proven a major draw for the league across all quarters, such is his profile. Montreal sold out the Stade Saputo for the visit of Inter Miami, and there was no shortage of pink kits worn by supporters in the stands. The no unfamiliar occurence has some benefit for Mascherano's side. 'I don't want to overanalyze it," he said. "We're very lucky - when we play away, most of the crowd comes to see Messi, and a lot of them are actually fans of his. They usually try to support him, and that's something we don't take for granted," he said.
