Portugal mourns Liverpool star Diogo Jota after tragic car crash

A wave of grief has swept across Portugal and the football world as the funeral arrangements for Liverpool forward Diogo Jota begin today, following a devastating car crash that claimed his life and that of his brother, André Silva.

The wake is taking place in São Cosme, a small town just 30 minutes from Jota’s hometown of Porto. The funeral service is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m., as friends, family, fans, and teammates prepare to bid an emotional farewell to the 28-year-old footballer.

The tragedy comes barely two weeks after Jota celebrated his wedding to his longtime partner, Rute, in a joyful Catholic ceremony surrounded by loved ones. That moment of happiness has now turned into heartbreaking sorrow.

According to Portuguese media reports, the fatal crash happened on the A-52 highway near Cernadilla, close to the Spanish-Portuguese border. Jota and André were travelling in a £180,000 acid green Lamborghini Huracán when the vehicle suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking another car. The luxury sports car veered off the road and burst into flames.

It is believed the brothers were on their way to Santander to catch a ferry to the UK. Due to recent lung surgery, Jota had been advised against flying and was making the journey by road and sea instead. He was reportedly returning to England to resume pre-season training with Liverpool, which was scheduled to begin on Monday.