Liverpool Soccer Star Diogo Jota and Brother Killed in Car Crash Just Days After Wedding

(Cover Images via AP Images)

Liverpool soccer star Diogo Jota has died at the age of 28 after a car crash in northern Spain, a loss that left the sports world reeling.

The Portugal native and his 26-year-old brother, Andre Silva, a professional soccer player with Liga Portugal 2 club Penafiel, were both killed when their Lamborghini veered off the A-52 motorway near Cernadilla, Zamora, and caught fire.

Spanish police said a burst tire on the vehicle may have caused the fatal accident, which occurred shortly after midnight.

Jota had married his long-term partner less than two weeks ago. Some of the player’s final social media posts were images and videos from the wedding. The couple had three children.

Liverpool Football Club said in a statement that its community was “devastated” as fans laid tributes outside the stadium at Anfield.

A product of Paços de Ferreira’s youth system, Jota’s sharp rise through Portuguese and English football saw him join Atlético Madrid in 2016, before loan spells with Porto and Wolves led to a permanent Premier League breakthrough. He signed with Liverpool in 2020, making over 180 appearances and helping secure the 2024/25 Premier League title alongside earlier FA Cup and Carabao Cup victories.

A beloved figure within both the team and his country, Jota appeared in nearly 50 games for Portugal, winning two Nations League titles.

The Portuguese FA said Jota was “far beyond being an exceptional player” and complimented him as “an extraordinary person” with “a contagious joy and a reference within his own community.”

A moment of silence will be observed before Portugal’s Women’s Euros match against Spain on Thursday.