The bodies of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva have arrived in their hometown of Gondomar, Portugal, on Friday, July 4, 2025, for a wake. The brothers tragically died in a car accident in Spain early Thursday morning.
The arrival of the hearses in Gondomar marked the beginning of a somber weekend for the community and Portuguese football. A crowd of tearful locals and Liverpool fans gathered to greet the vehicles carrying the coffins outside the São Cosme funeral parlor in the early hours of Friday. The accident occurred on Spain's A52 highway near Cernadilla, approximately 24 hours prior to the arrival. Preliminary investigations suggest that a tyre blowout caused their Lamborghini to veer off the road and burst into flames while overtaking.
Diogo Jota's death, at the age of 28, has sent shockwaves through the football world, prompting tributes from former teammates, clubs, national leaders, and fans. Outside Anfield Stadium, Liverpool's home ground, fans have left flowers, scarves, and handwritten notes. Football clubs, including Paris St Germain, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, observed moments of silence during training for the Club World Cup in the United States.
Just weeks before his death, Jota had married his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso. She was seen leaving the morgue and joining the convoy to Portugal. Jota's longtime agent, Jorge Mendes, also joined the convoy.
A wake is scheduled to take place at the Sao Cosme Chapel, approximately 30 minutes from Porto, commencing at 3 PM (1500 GMT) on Friday. The funeral will be held on Saturday at 10 AM local time at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, a church close to where Jota recently married. Following the funeral mass, the brothers will be laid to rest in the local cemetery.
The community of Gondomar is in deep mourning. Outside the Gondomar Sport Club, where Jota's academy is located, a memorial of flowers, scarves, jerseys, and candles continues to grow. Miguel Rocha, a former teammate of Jota, expressed the community's pride in Jota's achievements.
Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro arrived in Gondomar on Friday morning. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca indicated that Pedro Neto, a Portuguese international and close friend of Jota, was considering whether to play in Friday's quarter-final against Palmeiras.
Diogo Jota's physiotherapist, Miguel Goncalves, refuted claims that the footballer had been partying before the accident. He stated that Jota was a dedicated professional who was looking forward to the upcoming season. Goncalves last saw Jota and his brother around 8:30 PM on Wednesday.
Liverpool has announced that they will "rightly immortalise" Jota's No. 20 shirt, following requests for it to be retired.
