Hundreds of mourners gathered in silence outside the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar today as the funeral of Portuguese football star Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva was held following their tragic death in a car crash last Thursday in Spain. The vehicle they were in reportedly veered off the road during an overtaking maneuver, due to a tyre blowout.
Jota, 28, a forward for Liverpool FC and Portugal’s national team, and André Silva, 30, died just 11 days after Jota married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso. The couple shared three children. The service, held in their hometown of Gondomar, was deeply emotional, drawing together a heartbroken community and football fraternity.
The private Catholic ceremony began at 10:00 a.m. with the Lord’s Prayer, with audio of the proceedings broadcast outside for the hundreds unable to enter. Somber crowds filled the church courtyard and surrounding streets, united in quiet tribute. Many held Portuguese flags, wore football shirts, or carried flowers and scarves.
Inside the church, the sense of loss was palpable as family, including Jota’s visibly distraught wife, and close friends walked in with bowed heads. Former and current teammates from Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the national team—including Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Jordan Henderson, and Ruben Neves—arrived bearing wreaths marked with the brothers’ squad numbers. Neves, who had been consoled in tears during a match in Florida the previous night, paid heartfelt tribute, saying: “You’ll always be there with me.”
As the service ended, Ave Maria rang out from the church speakers and the bells tolled once more. The brothers’ caskets were carried through a crowd that responded with gentle applause. The funeral procession made its way to a nearby cemetery for a private burial ceremony.
Tributes also poured in from Liverpool, where fans laid flowers and scarves outside Anfield Stadium beneath a banner bearing the club’s iconic motto: You’ll Never Walk Alone. Jota had played for Liverpool since 2020, scoring 65 goals in 182 appearances.
“He was my favorite player,” said Francisco Silva, 10, from Gondomar, proudly wearing a number 20 Liverpool shirt Jota once signed during a school visit. Another mourner, Carlos, reflected, “He was not just a great footballer, but a great human being who inspired so many kids here.”
As Gondomar grieves, it does so with the world watching, remembering two brothers whose lives and legacies reached far beyond the pitch.
Written By Rodney Mbua
