Liverpool forward Diogo Jota dies tragically at 28

Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota has tragically died at the age of 28. He, along with his brother, Andre Silva, both passed away following a car accident in Spain.

It was the Portuguese soccer federation that initially announced his passing. For its part, Liverpool also released a statement.

“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,” the statement read. “The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre. Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support.”

The incident occurred in the Zamora region of Sanabria. There, according to the Zamora provincial council, firefighters responded to a car that had caught on fire. Emergency services had been called shortly before 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, and a blown-out tire has been cited as a cause for the accident. The Guardia Civil released their own statement.

“The information we have so far is that the car, which was a Lamborghini, was in a road traffic accident and left the road due to a tyre blow out while overtaking,” the Guardia Civil announced. “It was in the early hours, 00:30 BST, in the municipality of Cernadilla in the province of Zamora.”

Diogo Jota was a native of Portugal, whose youth career began in 2005 with Gondomar. Later, in 2014, he’d begin his senior career with Paços de Ferreira. By 2020, Jota would find his way to Liverpool from Wolverhampton for around $40 million. There, he made 123 career appearances. During that time, he managed to score 47 goals.

Internationally renowned, Jota would also represent his native Portugal. That included at the U19, U21, U23, and senior levels of competition. For the Portuguese National Team, he’d make 49 appearances and score 14 goals. However, he would miss the 2022 World Cup due to a calf injury.

Within his home country, Jota’s death has affected people at all levels. Even Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro shared a statement. He wrote, “The news of the death of Diogo Jota, an athlete who greatly honored Portugal’s name, and his brother is unexpected and tragic. I extend my deepest condolences to their family. It is a sad day for football and for national and international sport.”

This tragedy has, unfortunately, cut a life and a career short. It’s a major loss for Liverpool, Portugal, and soccer around the world, with Jota passing at the age of 28.