Liverpool Star Diogo Jota Dies In Car Accident, 2 Weeks After Getting Married

Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, 28, died in a car crash near Zamora in northwestern Spain with his brother, the Portuguese Football Federation said on Thursday.

The regional fire department of Castile and Leon, where Zamora is located, said on its website a car crashed early on Thursday, shortly after midnight, and burst into flames, with two men, aged 28 and 26, found dead.

Spanish police told Reuters they could not yet officially confirm the names of the deceased, but everything pointed to it being Jota and his brother. The Lamborghini they were travelling veered off the road, the spokesperson said.

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The bodies have been taken to a forensics unit in nearby Zamora where autopsies will be performed, they said.

Jota had just married long-term girlfriend Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children, and described himself as the luckiest man in the world in an interview released yesterday. They exchanged vows on June 28.

'Devastated' over Diogo Jota's death

Liverpool Football Club said it was devastated by the death of its player Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash near Zamora in northwestern Spain with his brother.

"Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota," the club wrote on social media on Thursday.

"We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day," the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement.

Portugal's Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro said, "The news of the death of Diogo Jota, an athlete who greatly honoured Portugal's name, and his brother is unexpected and tragic. I extend my deepest condolences to their family. It is a sad day for football and for national and international sports."

The footballer helped Liverpool win the Premier League last season and also won the FA Cup and League Cup with the Merseyside outfit.

Jota arrived at Anfield from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 and scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club in all competitions.

He also made 49 appearances for Portugal, twice winning the UEFA Nations League.

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