Tragic Death of Diogo Jota: Liverpool Footballer Dies in Accident in Spain

On July 3, 2025, a horrific accident occurred in Spain, resulting in the tragic death of 28-year-old Liverpool and Portugal national team footballer Diogo Jota. This tragedy unfolded merely ten days after Jota's wedding to Rute Cardoso, with whom he was raising three children.

Diogo Jota, who was at the peak of his career, left behind a significant legacy in the world of football. A biography titled "Diogo Jota — Never Again — It's Too Long," written by José Manuel Delgado, is set to be released in April 2026. In this book, the footballer's widow shared an excerpt detailing her last message to her beloved. Rute received a video from their wedding and intended to show it to Diogo but decided to call him later.

"My love, when you stop, call me because I want to show you something..." Rute wrote, expressing her deep feelings for her husband.

Reports indicate that Jota was on vacation and was driving with his brother, André Silva. While driving, the car suffered a tire blowout, causing the vehicle to veer off the road. Tragically, the car was engulfed in flames, and both Diogo and André perished at the scene.

In her biography, Rute Cardoso also shared the story of why her husband chose to drive a Lamborghini on that fateful day. "Unlike most players who love expensive cars, jewelry, and watches, Diogo was never fascinated by these things, and the cars we had were more than enough for him. Perhaps because he never had a particular passion for cars, he took the opportunity to drive a Ferrari, which he returned on the morning of our wedding. Later, he rented a Lamborghini. He probably wanted to have new experiences," Rute explained.

Diogo Jota was born in Porto and began his football career with the Portuguese club Paços de Ferreira. In 2016, he became a player for Atlético Madrid but did not play any matches for the club. The Spanish club loaned the forward to Porto and Wolverhampton. In 2018, Jota joined Wolverhampton permanently, and after two seasons with the Wolves, he transferred to Liverpool for a fee of £41 million.

With Liverpool, Jota won the Premier League and the FA Cup, as well as reaching the Champions League final. Overall, he played 182 matches for the club, scoring 65 goals. Additionally, for the Portugal national team, Jota played 49 matches and scored 14 goals, winning the Nations League twice in 2019 and 2025.

It is worth noting that last year, the children of the late Diogo Jota took to the field with Liverpool players before a Premier League match, a touching moment for all fans.