In a night filled with sorrow and silence, the bodies of Diogo Jota and his younger brother André Silva returned to their hometown of Gondomar, Portugal, following the tragic car crash that claimed their lives. The somber return of the Liverpool star has plunged fans, friends, and family into deep mourning.
In the late hours of July 3, two black hearses carrying the brothers slowly entered the grounds of a local church in Gondomar. As the vehicles passed, hundreds of mourners lined the streets, many weeping silently, some clasping their faces, unable to hold back tears. Applause broke out, not in celebration, but as a heart-wrenching farewell to a beloved son of Portugal.
From early morning on July 4, mourners from across the region gathered quietly for the viewing ceremony at the Capela de Ressurreicao chapel, just steps away from the church where the official funeral will be held on Saturday, July 5, at 10 AM. Parish priest Father Jose Manuel Macedo spoke to the grieving crowd, “We are here together to remember their lives, to share the pain, and to hold on to hope.”
The tragic car crash occurred in the early hours of July 3, near Zamora, Spain, just 16 kilometers from the Portuguese border. Jota’s Lamborghini reportedly blew a tire while overtaking another vehicle on highway A-52. The car spun out of control, flipped multiple times, and erupted into flames, spreading fire into the surrounding woods.
Emergency services arrived quickly, but it was too late. Both brothers died at the scene. Spanish police have yet to determine who was behind the wheel at the time of the accident.
Later that day, the bodies were taken to a funeral home in Puebla de Sanabria, where Jota’s longtime agent Jorge Mendes appeared with Jota’s wife and his grieving mother. At the time, Mendes choked back tears, saying, “We lost two extraordinary people. Diogo was the epitome of professionalism, a loving husband, son, and friend. I still can’t believe it.”
At just 28 years old, Diogo Jota had become a prominent name in international football, celebrated for his work ethic, precision, and humility on and off the pitch. Just two weeks earlier, he had married his childhood sweetheart, Rute, at the very church where his funeral will now take place.
According to Portuguese media, Jota and André were driving to Santander to catch a ferry to the UK. The decision to travel by car was made following medical advice to avoid air travel due to a recent lung surgery.
