The pre-season friendly between Liverpool and Preston North End at Deepdale became a poignant memorial to Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, following their tragic deaths in a car accident in Spain. The match, initially intended to kick-start Liverpool's Premier League title defense, was filled with emotional tributes from players, staff, and fans.

Before the game, Claudia Rose Maguire, the wife of former Preston player Sean Maguire, delivered a moving rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone". Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of the Liverpool supporters, with the Bill Shankly Kop adorned with banners and scarves bearing Jota's name. Liverpool supporters sang their Jota chant 20 minutes before kick-off and again 20 minutes into the match, at which point fans in all four stands rose to applaud, marking the squad number that Liverpool retired in his memory. Mohamed Salah, captaining a young Liverpool side, appeared visibly moved as an image of the brothers was displayed on the stadium's big screen. Both teams wore black armbands during the match.

Darwin Nunez scored Liverpool's second goal and paid tribute to Jota by replicating his video game celebration. Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory with goals from Conor Bradley, Nunez, and Cody Gakpo, but the thoughts of Jota and Silva remained central throughout the day. After the final whistle, Liverpool players and staff stood in front of their fans for seven minutes as they chanted Diogo Jota's name.

Tributes to Jota extended beyond the match itself. Liverpool retired the number 20 shirt, a first for the club, in honor of Diogo Jota. Tributes have also been placed at the Anfield memorial.