RIP Diogo Jota and André Silva - Catholic Football (Soccer) Stars Die in Accident - Just Weeks after Wedding
Diogo Jota, the famous soccer (football) star, tragically died in a car crash in Cernadilla, Spain, on July 3. He was a proud Portuguese National Team star and a key player for Liverpool FC-a player, full of life, talent, and joy.
Just this 12th May 2025, he lifted the English Premier League trophy with Liverpool. On 9th June 2025, he celebrated another triumph, winning the European Nations League with Portugal. And only two weeks prior to his death, on 21st June 2025, he married his beautiful wife in the Catholic Church-a radiant day when life seemed perfect.
But this on July 3rd, the unthinkable happened: news confirmed that Diogo and his brother, André Silva-also a professional footballer in Portugal, died in a car accident.
The English Archbishop of Liverpool in the United Kingdom released a statement: Archbishop John Sherrington responded to the news about Liverpool FC player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who both tragically died in a car crash in Spain.
Archbishop Sherrington said: “I’m truly shocked and saddened to hear the heartbreaking news about Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.”
Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, died in the early hours of 3 July in the Zamora region of Spain as they were due to travel back to the UK via a ferry from Santander, northern Spain.
Jota had recently gotten married to his long-term partner, Rutte, and had three young children with her.
Archbishop Sherrington finished saying: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, children, family, friends and the whole community.”
LIFE of Diogo Jota and Andre
Diogo José Teixeira da Silva (born: 4 December 1996 – 3 July 2025), commonly known as Diogo Jota, was a Portuguese professional footballer who played as a forward or winger.
Jota and his brother, André Silva, were killed in a single-vehicle collision in Cernadilla, Spain, on 3 July 2025. Jota married his high school sweetheart Rute Cardoso on 22 June 2025, just 11 days before his death. The couple had three children.
In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Teixeira and the second or paternal family name is da Silva.
Jota started his career with Paços de Ferreira, before signing for La Liga club Atlético Madrid in 2016. In 2020, he signed for Liverpool for a fee reported to be £41 million. He played 182 games and scored 65 goals over five seasons for Liverpool, helping them to the Premier League title in 2024–25, one FA Cup and two EFL Cups.
He made his senior international debut in November 2019 and was chosen in the squads for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024). He also won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.
Born in Porto, Portugal, Jota played for local club Gondomar between the ages of 9 and 17. In 2022, the academy was named after him.
Jota, whose actual surname was Silva, chose to use the name "Jota" to distinguish himself from other players named Diogo and Silva in the youth academy. "Jota" is the Portuguese name of the letter "J", making this equivalent to calling himself "Diogo J".
Jota's brother, André Silva, was also a professional footballer. Like his brother, André started playing football at Gondomar and played for Paços de Ferreira at youth level. When Jota joined Porto on loan in 2016, André was in the club's youth ranks. André was playing for Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel at the time of their deaths.
On 3 July 2025, Jota and his brother, André, died in a car crash in the province of Zamora in Spain, while returning to Liverpool for pre-season training. Jota had recently undergone minor lung surgery in Porto, Portugal, before getting married. On medical advice not to fly, Jota planned to return to England via a ferry leaving from Santander, Spain. He and his brother were driving to Santander to catch the ferry when, according to the Spanish Civil Guard, their Lamborghini Huracán suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle on the A-52 motorway. The car veered off the road near kilometre point 64 in the municipality of Cernadilla and caught fire. The crash occurred between 00:30 and 00:40 CEST. Emergency services later confirmed that both men died at the scene. Jota was 28 years old and his brother was 25 In a statement, the Spanish Civil Guard said that “all the evidence so far indicates” Jota was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, and that the car “significantly exceeded the speed limit for the highway”. The expert report is still being finalised and will be submitted to the court in Puebla de Sanabria.
A wake for the brothers was held on 4 July 2025 in Gondomar, Portugal, where hundreds of relatives, friends and public figures, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, gathered to pay their respects. The funeral took place the following morning at the nearby Igreja Paroquial de Gondomar, with Bishop Manuel Linda [pt] of Porto presiding over the mass. Liverpool teammates Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson carried floral tributes dedicated to Jota and Silva, respectively, while Portugal teammate Rúben Neves served as a pallbearer for Jota's casket. Following the service, the brothers were buried side by side in the cemetery adjacent to the church.
Archbishop Sherrington said: “I’m truly shocked and saddened to hear the heartbreaking news about Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.”
Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, died in the early hours of 3 July in the Zamora region of Spain as they were due to travel back to the UK via a ferry from Santander, northern Spain.
Jota had recently gotten married to his long-term partner, Rutte, and had three young children with her.
Archbishop Sherrington finished saying: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, children, family, friends and the whole community.”
Diogo José Teixeira da Silva (born: 4 December 1996 – 3 July 2025), commonly known as Diogo Jota, was a Portuguese professional footballer who played as a forward or winger.
Jota and his brother, André Silva, were killed in a single-vehicle collision in Cernadilla, Spain, on 3 July 2025. Jota married his high school sweetheart Rute Cardoso on 22 June 2025, just 11 days before his death. The couple had three children.
In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Teixeira and the second or paternal family name is da Silva.
Jota started his career with Paços de Ferreira, before signing for La Liga club Atlético Madrid in 2016. In 2020, he signed for Liverpool for a fee reported to be £41 million. He played 182 games and scored 65 goals over five seasons for Liverpool, helping them to the Premier League title in 2024–25, one FA Cup and two EFL Cups.
He made his senior international debut in November 2019 and was chosen in the squads for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024). He also won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.
Born in Porto, Portugal, Jota played for local club Gondomar between the ages of 9 and 17. In 2022, the academy was named after him.
Jota, whose actual surname was Silva, chose to use the name "Jota" to distinguish himself from other players named Diogo and Silva in the youth academy. "Jota" is the Portuguese name of the letter "J", making this equivalent to calling himself "Diogo J".
Jota's brother, André Silva, was also a professional footballer. Like his brother, André started playing football at Gondomar and played for Paços de Ferreira at youth level. When Jota joined Porto on loan in 2016, André was in the club's youth ranks. André was playing for Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel at the time of their deaths.
On 3 July 2025, Jota and his brother, André, died in a car crash in the province of Zamora in Spain, while returning to Liverpool for pre-season training. Jota had recently undergone minor lung surgery in Porto, Portugal, before getting married. On medical advice not to fly, Jota planned to return to England via a ferry leaving from Santander, Spain. He and his brother were driving to Santander to catch the ferry when, according to the Spanish Civil Guard, their Lamborghini Huracán suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle on the A-52 motorway. The car veered off the road near kilometre point 64 in the municipality of Cernadilla and caught fire. The crash occurred between 00:30 and 00:40 CEST. Emergency services later confirmed that both men died at the scene. Jota was 28 years old and his brother was 25 In a statement, the Spanish Civil Guard said that “all the evidence so far indicates” Jota was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, and that the car “significantly exceeded the speed limit for the highway”. The expert report is still being finalised and will be submitted to the court in Puebla de Sanabria.
A wake for the brothers was held on 4 July 2025 in Gondomar, Portugal, where hundreds of relatives, friends and public figures, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, gathered to pay their respects. The funeral took place the following morning at the nearby Igreja Paroquial de Gondomar, with Bishop Manuel Linda [pt] of Porto presiding over the mass. Liverpool teammates Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson carried floral tributes dedicated to Jota and Silva, respectively, while Portugal teammate Rúben Neves served as a pallbearer for Jota's casket. Following the service, the brothers were buried side by side in the cemetery adjacent to the church.
Sources: Wikipedia
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/archbishop-sherrington-statement-on-diogo-jota/
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/archbishop-sherrington-statement-on-diogo-jota/
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