Ex-Barcelona star fails to hold back tears during minute of silence for Diogo Jota | OneFootball

It has been a heartbreaking 48 hours in the world of football, after the passing of Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota was confirmed. The 28-year-old perished in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva, 26, in a tragic accident in the early hours of Thursday morning.

That was confirmed less than 12 hours after the crash in the Zamora region of Spain, as the pair drove to Santander to catch a ferry back to the United Kingdom. A wheel issue caused their Lamborghini to exit the road, and they could not escape the flames of the wreckage thereafter. Tributes have rolled in from around the globe, touching hearts throughout the game. Both Silva and Jota left behind three children and wives, with Jota married just 10 days beforehand.

Tribute at the Club World Cup

Meanwhile at the Club World Cup, a minute of silence was held before the quarter-final between Fluminense and Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal. Jota’s international teammates Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves were both involved in the game, but could not hold back the tears, in a heart-wrenching moment ahead of the game.

Neves’ tribute to Jota

After the dreadful news was confirmed, Neves posted a message to his friend and teammate Jota, whom he coincided with at Wolves too, on his Instagram page just hours ahead of the game. It read as follows:

“Beast, wherever you are, I know you’ll read this. We’ve never been that stupid and maybe now I regret it a little, but you know what you mean to me as much as I know what I mean to you. More than a friend, we’re family, and we won’t stop being that way just because you’ve decided to sign a contract a little further away from us! When I go to the national team, you’ll continue to be by my side at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane… you’ll always be there with me, as usual. We’ll continue to laugh, make plans, share our lives with each other. I’ll make sure you’re always there and I’ll make sure your family never lacks anything while you’re there, far away but thinking about us, waiting for us. Life brought us together and now it can’t separate us. We’ve achieved beautiful things together, we still have a lot to achieve, I know we’ll make it. Starting today, you’ll enter the field with me, and we’ll follow our path together, on the stage where we met. Diogoal, you are my favorite lemonade!! I love you 🤍 “