A ‘Completely Devastated’ Soccer Community Mourns Late Soccer Star Diogo Jota: An ‘Unimaginable Loss,’ Ronaldo Says

Tributes continue to pour in Thursday for the late soccer star Diogo Jota, who died alongside his brother André Silva in a car crash overnight in Spain.

Jota was 28 years old. Silva was 26.

Jota played for Liverpool FC in the English Premier League, helping the club win the league championship in May. The skilled forward also played for the Portuguese national team, scoring 14 goals in 50 appearances with the squad.

In a statement, Liverpool said Jota’s teammates are trying “to come to terms with an unimaginable loss” and declined to comment further. Meanwhile, the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement that it was “completely devastated” over the news.

Prince William and Kate Middleton shared their condolences on social media, writing that they were “deeply saddened to hear” the news of the brothers' deaths.

On Instagram, Cristiano Ronaldo was among a growing list of soccer players from around the world to memorialize his former Portuguese national squad teammate, saying Jota’s death "doesn't make any sense."

"Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you were married," Ronaldo, 40, wrote. "To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. R.I.P. Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you."

Stephen Warnock, one of Jota’s former Liverpool teammates who still lives near the Portuguese soccer star’s family, told the BBC that Jota was a “bubbly character” who could also be “a fiery person” on the field.

“He had that lovely balance,” Warnock recalled. "He was always happy to give up his time [when giving interviews for radio and TV], more than gracious when he spoke to people, very respectful but also a very charismatic character — around the training ground and also around the stadium as well.”

Silva’s club team in Portugal, Penafiel FC, said in a statement that “the loss of two such young lives fills us with pain and dismay," according to the BBC.

The outlet also reported that fans were gathered outside Anfield, Liverpool’s home stadium, on Thursday, as the community mourned Jota’s death. Some laid tributes and flowers outside the soccer stadium. But “most of them are standing in a kind of daze — scarcely able to believe the tragedy that has befallen one of their heroes.”

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The tragedy comes just weeks after the Liverpool star married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he shares three children. The pair tied the knot on June 22, with Jota sharing a video from their nuptials on Instagram just hours before the crash. 

“A day we will never forget 🤍,” he captioned the post.

His wife also shared photos of their big day on June 28 with a caption (translated from Portuguese) that read, "June 22, 2025 • Yes to forever ♾️."

The Associated Press reported Thursday that Jota and his brother died after their car crashed off a road in the Spanish province of Zamora around 12:30 a.m. local time. Citing the Spanish Civil Guard, the outlet reported that the vehicle ended up in flames and the two brothers were found dead at the scene.

The cause of the single-car crash remains under investigation, according to the AP.