PORTUGAL Women’s manager Francisco Neto fought back tears as fans paid an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota ahead of the country’s Women’s Euro opener against Spain.
Supporters inside the stadium held pictures, shirts and signs aloft to pay their respects to Jota, who lost his life alongside brother Andre Silva in a tragic car accident.
The heartbreaking news that Jota, 28, and Silva, 25, had passed shocked the football world this morning.
In wake of the news, Uefa confirmed that a minute’s silence would be held ahead of Portugal vs Spain in the Women’s Euros tonight.
Jota and Silva both heralded from Portugal, with Jota representing his nation 49 times before his untimely death.
During the fans’ emotional tribute, Portugal boss Neto was seen with tears in his eyes.
While a picture of Jota appeared on the big screen inside the stadium, alongside the words: “In memory of Diogo Jota. 1996-2025”.
Players appeared emotional as they stood arm in arm during the moment of remembrance.
The two teams also wore black armbands for the game, which ended in a 5-0 victory for Spain.
Both brothers were professional footballers, with Jota playing for Liverpool and Silva on the books at Portuguese second-tier club Penafiel.
The pair lost their lives in a tragic car accident in Zamora, Spain in a Lamborghini when the vehicle’s flat tyre suddenly burst and sent the car veering off the road, police believe.
Moments of silence were also held by clubs at the Club World Cup during their training sessions in the USA today, with Real Madrid, Chelsea and PSG all paying tribute to Jota and Silva.
Among Real Madrid’s minute’s silence was Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was Jota’s teammate at Liverpool for five years, making almost 150 appearances together.
Included in PSG’s tribute was Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Goncalo Ramos – all of whom played alongside Jota for the Portuguese national team.
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, who played with Jota for Wolves and Portugal, did not train in the wake of his news about his friend.
Jota had got married just 10 days ago to his long-term partner Rute Cardoso and the couple have three children, Dinis, Duarte, and a daughter who was born in 2024.
Personal tributes have also been flooding in for the Jota, including one from Alexander-Arnold.
The England right-back wrote: “Diogo, your family was your world. They were everything.
“For Rute, his children, and his parents, all of our hearts are broken. And for Andre as well. Brothers and best friends.
“When it’s less painful, I want to remember Diogo with a big smile. So many laughs and happy moments. He was such a great teammate and a true friend.
“Forever number 20. Rest in peace, Diogo.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot also paid tribute to Jota, describing feelings of “shock and pain” that are “so incredibly raw”.
The title-winning boss added: “For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player.
“He was a loved one to all of us. He was a teammate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special.
“I could say so much about what he brought to our team but the truth is everyone who watched Diogo play could see it.
“Hard work, desire, commitment, great quality, goals. The essence of what a Liverpool player should be.
“There were also the parts that not everyone got to see. The person who never sought popularity but found it anyway.
“Not a friend to two people, a friend to everyone. Someone who made others feel good about themselves just by being with them. A person who cared deeply for his family.
“The last time we spoke, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him luck for his forthcoming wedding.
“In many ways, it was a dream summer for Diogo and his family, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that it should end like this.”
Fellow Liverpool icons such as Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler and David James have all also paid their respects.
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