PHOTOSWho Was Diogo Jota? 5 Things to Know About the Portuguese Soccer Player Killed in a Car Crash in Spain
Diogo Jota died in a car crash in Spain on July 3, just 11 days after his wedding.
July 4 2025, Published 6:37 a.m. ET
Diogo Jota Was a Successful Soccer Player
Diogo Jota had a successful career as a soccer star before his death.
Diogo Jota left behind a relatively brief but decorated career following his death.
Born in Porto on December 4, 1996, the late soccer star began his journey with Paços de Ferreira in the Primeira Liga before being snapped up by Atlético Madrid in 2016.
"I sometimes find myself thinking, 'Enjoy his talents while you can,'" Paços de Ferreira coach Jorge Simão said. "He is a player we do not see every day and I believe he will soon reach the top. He never misses training and he has a maturity that goes well beyond his age."
Shortly after the transfer, he was loaned back to Porto, where he officially joined Wolverhampton Wanderers. During a season-long loan, he scored 17 league goals that helped the club earn promotion to the Premier League after a six-year absence.
Wolves Chairman Jeff Shi said Jota was "a top player" and, for him, "one of the top three players in the whole 10 years that Fosun and I have been here."
"But he was also a nice boy who was very warm, very nice and always understanding, but he was also demanding. As a top player, you sometimes have to demand your teammates to do well, and although he was never a player on the pitch to shout, you could always see what he wanted from you," Shi remembered Jota after his death.
He also described the late player as " a "very positive and optimistic guy" with "very clear ideas."
Shi continued, "He was smart, intelligent and also very decisive in his actions. I feel he had the potential to become a very good CEO or entrepreneur in the future because he was very clear with what he wanted to do. Diogo will be sorely missed by everyone here at Wolves and our thoughts go out to his family and friends."
After a prolific career with Wolves, Jota left the club to join Liverpool.
Diogo Jota Played for Liverpool
Diogo Jota died in a car crash alongside his brother.
In September 2020, Jota officially joined Liverpool and signed a contract worth over $50 million with the club.
"In my youth, growing up, I never played for the big teams," he told Sky Sports in 2022. "I had a few teammates who went to Porto or Benfica. I had trials there but I never stayed. I was one of the better ones but never the best."
Overall, Jota scored 65 goals and provided 22 assists in 182 games for Liverpool before his death.
He and Rute Cardoso Welcomed 3 Children Together
Diogo Jota was a father of three young children.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Jota met his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, while attending a high school in Porto. They began dating in 2012 and, nearly a decade later, welcomed their first child, a son named Dinis, in 2021.
Their second son, Duarte, was born in 2023, followed by a daughter in 2024.
Diogo Jota Married Rute Cardoso Just 11 Days Before His Death
Diogo Jota was 28 at the time of his death.
Jota popped the question to Cardoso in July 2022 and married her in a lavish ceremony on June 22 — just 11 days before the athlete's death.
"A day we will never forget," Jota captioned the Instagram video from their wedding, which he posted hours before the fatal accident.
Diogo Jota Died in a Car Crash at Age of 28
Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
In the wee hours of July 3, the 28-year-old Portuguese forward — alongside his 25-year-old brother André Silva — died in a car crash near Zamora in northwestern Spain.
"A vehicle left the road and everything indicates a tire burst while overtaking," the Guardia Civil in Zamora told Sky Sports News in a statement. "As a result of the accident, the car caught fire and both people were killed. Pending the completion of forensic tests, one of the deceased has been identified as Diogo Jota, a Liverpool FC player, and his brother, Andre Felipe."
A Spanish government source said police were investigating the cause as "a possible speeding incident."
Following the news, Liverpool said they are "devastated by the tragic passing" of Jota.
"Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre's family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss," the statement read. "We will continue to provide them with our full support."
