UPDATE

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain, two weeks after wedding

Portuguese star and brother Andre killed after vehicle bursts into flames

Last updated: July 03, 2025 | 12:39

1 MIN READ

Liverpool's Diogo Jota died in a car crash in Spain on Thursday.

Dubai: Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota has died in a car crash near Zamora, in northwestern Spain, according to multiple media reports on Thursday.

Spanish daily Marca reported that Jota and his brother Andre, also a professional footballer, were killed when their car veered off the road and burst into flames in the province of Zamora.

The 28-year-old had married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso just two weeks ago on June 22. The couple have three children together. In an interview released on Wednesday, Jota had described himself as “the luckiest man in the world”.

The tragedy occurred while the Portuguese forward was travelling in his supercar. Reports suggest the vehicle’s tyre may have blown out while overtaking on the A-52 highway, around 70 miles west of the city of Valladolid.

Key player for Portugal

The A-52, where the crash occurred, is a key route often used by drivers travelling between northern Portugal and Spain.

The Portuguese forward joined Liverpool in 2020 and had gone on to win the Premier League, FA Cup and two league cup titles. His time at Anfield saw him make 182 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 65 times.

Jota was capped 49 times for Portugal and scored 14 goals, winning the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025. He also featured for Portugal in their Nations League final victory over Spain in June.

A.K.S. SatishSports Editor

From playing on the pitch to analysing it from the press box, Satish has spent over three decades living and breathing sport. A cricketer-turned-journalist, he has covered three Cricket World Cups, the 2025 Champions Trophy, countless IPL seasons, F1 races, horse racing classics, and tennis in Dubai. Cricket is his home ground, but he sees himself as an all-rounder - breaking stories, building pages, going live on podcasts, and interviewing legends across every corner of the sporting world. Satish started on the back pages, and earned his way to the front, now leading the sports team at Gulf News, where he has spent 25 years navigating the fast-evolving game of journalism. Whether it’s a Super-Over thriller or a behind-the-scenes story, he aims to bring insight, energy, and a fan’s heart to every piece. Because like sport, journalism is about showing up, learning every day, and giving it everything.