Portugal Honors Diogo Jota After World Cup Victory
Portugal paid tribute to Diogo Jota following their 2-1 win against Croatia in the World Cup. This match marked one year since Jota’s tragic death in a car accident in Spain. He was 28 years old and had recently married Rute Cardoso.
Cristiano Ronaldo wore a special ’21’ shirt in Jota’s memory after the match. The team gathered to hold the shirt aloft. Before the game, Jota’s image appeared on the big screen, receiving cheers from fans in Toronto.
Portugal’s manager, Roberto Martinez, referred to Jota as “our sun and our light” and named him an honorary ‘plus-one’ player. He expressed the team’s desire to win the World Cup for Jota.
Jota was returning to Liverpool for pre-season when the accident occurred on July 3, 2025. He was advised against flying due to recent surgery and chose to drive instead.
Ruben Neves, a close friend and teammate, shared that they maintain a WhatsApp group with Jota and continue to send messages. “Whenever something special happens, I have the conversations archived,” Neves said.
