Who is Diogo Jota? Here's All You Need To Know About Portugal and Liverpool Star Footballer Who Died in Car Accident

Liverpool and Portugal national football team star forward Diogo Jota died alongside his brother, Andre Silva, who was also a footballer, in a horrific car accident on Thursday. The tragic incident occurred in Zamora, Spain. Diogo Jota was 28 years old. Liverpool Football Club, the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) also confirmed the news of the sudden demise of the star footballer. Diogo Jota Dies: Liverpool and Portugal Star Passes Away at 28 Due to Horrific Car Accident.

The tragic news of Diogo Jota's death comes days after he married his long-time girlfriend, Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children. Spain's Civil Guard has confirmed to The Associated Press that Jota and his brother were found dead after their car went off the road. The investigation is still going on to find the cause of the incident. Diogo Jota's brother, Andre Silva, was playing with a lower division Portuguese club.

Diogo Jota's Career Stats

At the time of his death, the star footballer had 398 appearances across all competitions. Diogo Jota scored 136 goals and provided 66 assists. He played 190 Premier League matches, scoring 63 goals along 24 assists. Jota also played 49 matches for the Portugal national football team, during which he won the UEFA Nations League in the 2019 and 2025 editions.

Who is Diogo Jota?

Diogo Jota was born on 3rd December 1996 in Porto. The late footballer started his career playing for local club Pacos de Ferreira's youth system in 2013. Jota made his senior debut for the same club in 2014 and stayed till 2016. The forward moved to Atletico Madrid in 2016 but was loaned out to FC Porto. The 28-year-old also featured for the Portuguese giants, for whom he played 37 games.

In 2017, he was loaned out to Wolverhampton, where Jota helped them secure promotion to the Premier League. Diogo stayed with Wolves till the 2019-20 season. During his stint, he scored 44 goals in 131 outings. Who is Diogo Jota's Wife Rute Cardoso? Know All About Late Portugal and Liverpool Footballer's Better Half.

After joining Liverpool in 2020, the Portugal player appeared in 182 matches. He lifted the Premier League in May, having previously lifted the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups in his five years at the club. Diogo received his maiden call-up to the Portugal national team in 2019. He played alongside the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo-led team that lifted two UEFA Nations League titles. Diogo Jota got married to his long-term partner, Rude Cardoso, on June 22, 2025, just two weeks before his death. The couple dated each other for a long time and had three children.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2025 04:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).