A Year After His Death, Portugal Carries Diogo Jota to the World Cup

One year ago this week, the Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota died in a car crash in Spain alongside his brother, André Silva. As Portugal chases a World Cup, it is playing with him in mind — calling the squad '27 plus one' and carrying the memory of a player his teammates describe as their joy.

Arman Petrosyan July 2, 2026 at 11:29 AM

For Portugal, this World Cup is being played with an empty chair at the table. A year ago, on July 3, 2025, the forward Diogo Jota was killed in a car crash in Spain, along with his younger brother, André Silva, himself a professional footballer. Jota was 28. He had married his longtime partner just days earlier and was a father of three.

The player

Jota's career was a story of persistence. Passed over early for his slight build, he made his name at Wolverhampton Wanderers before Liverpool signed him in 2020. Over five seasons at Anfield he became a beloved figure — a sharp, fearless finisher who scored 65 goals in 182 appearances and helped the club win the Premier League, the FA Cup and two League Cups, according to his career record. For Portugal, he won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and again in 2025, weeks before his death.

An unprecedented tribute

The grief that followed was immediate and vast. Liverpool took a step it had never taken before: it retired his number 20 across the entire club, an honor without precedent in its history, and planned a permanent memorial to the two brothers. Tributes poured in from across the sport, from teammates and rivals alike, for a player widely described as generous and unfailingly cheerful off the pitch. Away from football, Jota was also a devoted gamer who ran his own esports team — one more sign of the competitor he was.

'27 plus one'

Now the tributes have followed Portugal to the World Cup, held across North America this summer. Coach Roberto Martínez has framed the squad as "27 plus one," keeping Jota symbolically among them, and has said the team wants to win the tournament in his honor. "He is our strength and our joy," Martínez said, ESPN reported.

The gestures have been visible on the field and off it. Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates have worn commemorative wristbands bearing Jota's name in training and through the tournament, FOX Sports reported, beginning with Portugal's opening match. His family has been present for tributes as well.

Carrying him forward

There is a particular weight to the timing — the anniversary of the crash falling as Portugal plays for the biggest prize in the sport. However the tournament ends, the team has made clear that Jota travels with it: not as a somber footnote, but as a source of the joy his teammates keep invoking. A year on, football is still mourning Diogo Jota — and, in Portugal's case, still playing for him.