Diogo Jota: One Year Since His Death, Portugal Honors Him With the No. 21 Jersey at the World Cup

 Diogo Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward, died on July 3, 2025, alongside his brother André Silva in a car accident on the A-52 motorway near Cernadilla, Zamora, in Spain. Spanish police confirmed the cause of the crash was a burst tyre while overtaking, with a follow-up investigation finding the vehicle was likely traveling above the speed limit, driven by Jota himself. One year later, on the anniversary of his death, Portugal paid tribute to Jota during their World Cup 2026 Round of 32 win over Croatia, with the squad holding up his No. 21 shirt and Cristiano Ronaldo wearing it after the final whistle. Jota’s number 21 has since been passed to his close friend and Portugal teammate Ruben Neves.

Friday, July 3, 2026 marks exactly one year since football lost Diogo Jota a loss that still visibly moves an entire national team, as shown just hours ago when Portugal’s players stopped their World Cup celebrations to hold up his shirt. If you’re searching for how Diogo Jota died, why Portugal wears the number 21 in his memory, or what’s happened since, here’s a complete, fact-checked account of the tragedy and the tribute that followed.

Table of Contents

• Who Was Diogo Jota?
• How Did Diogo Jota Die? The Full Timeline
• What Caused the Crash: The Official Findings
• Why Jota and His Brother Were Driving, Not Flying
• Portugal’s Number 21: What It Means
• The World Cup 2026 Tribute
• The Global Reaction After His Death
• FAQs
• Final Takeaway

Who Was Diogo Jota?

Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, known professionally as Jota, was a Portuguese forward who played for Liverpool and the Portugal national team. Born on December 4, 1996, in Massarelos, Porto, Jota came through the youth ranks at Paços de Ferreira before moving to Atlético Madrid, then Wolverhampton Wanderers, and finally Liverpool in 2020 for a reported £41 million. Over five seasons at Liverpool, Jota played 182 games and scored 65 goals, winning the Premier League title in 2025, one FA Cup, and two EFL Cups. At international level, he earned 49 caps for Portugal, scoring 14 goals, and was part of the squad that won the UEFA Nations League in both 2019 and 2025 his final match and trophy before his death.

Just 11 days before the accident, Jota had married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.

How Did Diogo Jota Die? The Full Timeline

On the night of July 2 into the early hours of July 3, 2025, Jota and his younger brother, André Silva — also a professional footballer, playing for Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel were travelling together through Zamora, in northwestern Spain. Around 12:30 a.m. local time, their car left the A-52 motorway near the town of Cernadilla and caught fire. Both brothers, aged 28 and 25, died at the scene. Spain’s Guardia Civil confirmed no other vehicle was involved and no one else was injured.

If you or someone you know needs guidance on road safety practices — including how tyre condition and speed contribute to serious accidents the World Health Organization’s global road safety report outlines the leading causes of fatal crashes and prevention measures used worldwide. For UK and Ireland-based readers, the RAC’s guide to tyre safety and blowout prevention is also a useful, practical resource.

What Caused the Crash: The Official Findings

In the immediate aftermath, Spanish authorities said the crash was caused by a burst tyre while the vehicle was overtaking another car, causing it to leave the road. A follow-up investigation by the Guardia Civil, released about a week later, added further detail: skid mark analysis pointed to the car travelling at a speed beyond the road’s legal limit, and officials confirmed that all evidence indicated Jota was the one driving at the time of the crash. Reports at the time noted the vehicle involved was a Lamborghini Huracán.

It’s worth being precise here, since so much of what circulated online in the days after his death was speculation: the official, confirmed cause of death for both brothers was blunt trauma sustained in the high-speed crash and subsequent fire, following the tyre failure not any of the unverified rumors that spread on social media in the immediate aftermath.

Why Jota and His Brother Were Driving, Not Flying

One detail that added to the tragedy’s weight: Jota wasn’t supposed to be driving long distances by choice. He had undergone lung surgery earlier that year and had been medically advised against flying during his recovery. As a result, he and André were driving to the northern Spanish port city of Santander, where they planned to catch an overnight ferry to Portsmouth, England a routine, medically necessary travel arrangement that turned fatal.

Portugal’s Number 21: What It Means

Jota wore the number 21 shirt for the Portuguese national team throughout his international career. After his death, Portugal did not immediately reassign the number head coach Roberto Martinez initially described his squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign as “23 + 1,” explicitly counting Jota as still part of the group in spirit.

Eventually, the number 21 was formally passed to Ruben Neves, one of Jota’s closest friends, having played alongside him for both Portugal and Wolverhampton Wanderers for years. Neves, who served as a pallbearer at Jota’s funeral, wrote on Instagram that he still expected to feel Jota “by my side at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane,” describing the number as something that keeps Jota with the team on the pitch.

The World Cup 2026 Tribute

The timing of Portugal’s Round of 32 match against Croatia falling on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Jota’s death turned an already emotional occasion into something the entire squad publicly reflected on. Before kickoff, an image of Jota was displayed inside the stadium during the Portuguese national anthem. After Portugal’s 2-1 win, the squad held up Jota’s No. 21 shirt in tribute, and Cristiano Ronaldo went further, putting the shirt on himself with visible emotion, later posting on Instagram: “We won for us, Diogo and Portugal!!!”

Speaking to reporters afterward, Ronaldo described the timing as something the squad had discussed together beforehand, calling it “the coincidence of life” and saying the moment meant a great deal to the team not only because of the result, but the way it happened.

The Global Reaction After His Death

Jota’s death in July 2025 drew tributes far beyond football. Then-Liverpool manager Arne Slot said the sense of shock at the club was absolute. Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, said Jota “had his whole future ahead of him,” while Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called the deaths “unexpected and tragic.” Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s longtime international teammate, wrote that his compatriot’s death “does not make sense.” Tributes also came from outside football, including Prince William and

NBA star LeBron James. At Anfield, floral tributes were carried by Liverpool teammates Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson at his funeral, while Ruben Neves served as a pallbearer.

Top Questions Answered:

Q1: How did Diogo Jota die?
Diogo Jota died in a car accident on the A-52 motorway near Cernadilla, Zamora, in Spain, on July 3, 2025. The vehicle left the road after a tyre burst while overtaking and subsequently caught fire.

Q2: What was the official cause of death?
Spanish investigators confirmed the crash was caused by tyre failure combined with excessive speed, with evidence indicating Jota was driving at the time. Both he and his brother died from injuries sustained in the crash and fire.

Q3: Did Diogo Jota’s brother die too?
Yes. His younger brother, André Silva, 25, also a professional footballer, died in the same accident.

Q4: What number did Diogo Jota wear for Portugal?
Jota wore the number 21 shirt for the Portuguese national team throughout his international career.

Q5: Who wears Diogo Jota’s number 21 for Portugal now?
Ruben Neves, Jota’s close friend and former Wolverhampton Wanderers teammate, has taken over the number 21 shirt for Portugal, a decision announced by head coach Roberto Martinez as a tribute.

Q6: How did Portugal honor Diogo Jota at the 2026 World Cup?
On the eve of the one-year anniversary of his death, Portugal’s squad held up his No. 21 shirt after beating Croatia in the Round of 32, with Cristiano Ronaldo wearing the jersey after the match in tribute.

Final Takeaway

A year on, Diogo Jota’s death remains one of football’s most sobering reminders of how quickly life can change a champion, newly married, cut down by a routine journey made necessary by a medical precaution. What’s remained constant since is how his memory continues to shape the team he represented: from Roberto Martinez counting him as an unofficial 24th squad member, to Ruben Neves carrying his number, to an entire nation’s team stopping a World Cup celebration to hold up his shirt. Whatever Portugal’s World Cup 2026 campaign brings from here, Diogo Jota’s number 21 will be on the pitch either way.

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