Portugal win on first anniversary of Diogo Jota’s fatal crash | OneFootball

Portugal beat Croatia in a thrilling finish to reach the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the victory arriving in the early hours of the first anniversary of Diogo Jota’s death in a road accident.

According to Superdeporte, the forward died on the A-52 near Cernadilla, Palacios de Sanabria, Zamora, at 28, alongside his brother André, 26, a Penafiel player. He had married 10 days earlier and that year lifted the Premier League with Liverpool and the UEFA Nations League with Portugal.

Their Lamborghini left the road after a tyre burst, the car caught fire and rescuers could not save them despite the swift response of firefighters from Rionegro del Puente and medical staff on the A-52 through Sanabria.

Cristiano Ronaldo mourned his Portugal team-mate last year in a post on X. He said it made no sense, noted they had just been together with the national team and that Jota had recently married, and sent condolences to his family, wife and children, adding that Diogo and André would be missed.

After the final whistle against Croatia, the win turned into a tribute. A visibly emotional Ronaldo held Jota’s shirt and pointed to the sky, saying Jota was watching over them and that winning felt the right way to honour him.

Source: Superdeporte