The club, as well as fans and football as a whole, are in mourning after the 28-year-old Portugal international and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday.

Mohamed Salah, one of the last players to share his grief on social media, admitted he was dreading returning to the club in the wake of Jota’s shock death.

I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break. Team mates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go… pic.twitter.com/TIEzpjOABr — Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) July 4, 2025

Some players were due back on Friday to begin the preliminaries of pre-season testing, but the first tranche of a phased return was postponed as everyone at the club continues to try to come to terms with the tragedy.

“I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break,” Salah wrote on social media.

“Team-mates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back.

“My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children.

“Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.”

It is believed a flight to Portugal has been chartered by the club. Reports in Portugal say the players, most of whom are still on summer holiday, are expected to attend, but Liverpool have yet to confirm arrangements.

Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal on Friday, ahead of the brothers’ funeral at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme at 10am on Saturday.

Initially held in private for family – Jota leaves a newly-married wife Rute and three young children – it was later opened up to the public, with hundreds queuing around the 17th-century church.

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes was among a number of club staff to attend the chapel, along with Manchester United’s Portugal international Diogo Dalot.

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes attends the wake of Diogo Jota (PA)

Nottingham Forest’s Jota Silva, born in Gondomar, and Jota’s former Wolves and Portugal team-mate Joao Moutinho were also among the mourners, with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation Pedro Proenca and Porto president Andre Villas-Boas also visiting.

The country’s president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and prime minister Luis Montenegro both attended in person, while members of the Portuguese parliament paid tribute to the two brothers.

Some members of the public embraced and cried before entering the venue as floral tributes of yellow and white and candles were laid by a tree outside.

People held service sheets featuring pictures of both brothers, the largest one showing Jota smiling in his Liverpool shirt and making a heart sign with his hands.

Mourners queued to pay their respects at the wake of Diogo Jota (PA).

At Anfield, where a temporary shrine has built up, thousands have left flowers, shirts, scarves and cards.

A tearful former Liverpool captain and team-mate, Jordan Henderson, was among those present on Friday, laying flowers and taking a moment to read some of the tributes after signing a book of condolence available in the Anfield Road stand.

“Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly (James Milner) up and get him fined, which we never could,” the England midfielder wrote on Instagram.

“Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around.

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson lays a tribute (Peter Byrne/PA)

“I know how much Rute and your family meant to you and I know you will always be looking down on them. Thank you for everything you brought into this world, we will all miss you.”

An Everton delegation comprising Portugal-born strikers Beto and Youssef Chermiti and former midfielder Ian Snodin also attended Anfield to pay their respects and lay wreaths.

18:37 Keifer MacDonald

Arne Slot: He will never be forgotten

Arne Slot has paid a touching tribute to Diogo Jota after Liverpool Football Club were left devastated by the tragic passing of the forward on Thursday morning (July 3).

In a statement released on the LFC website, Slot said: “What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words but I know I do not.

“All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.

“My first thoughts are not those of a football manager. They are of a father, a son, a brother and an uncle and they belong to the family of Diogo and Andre Silva who have experienced such an unimaginable loss.

“My message to them is very clear – you will never walk alone. The players, the staff, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club are all with you and from what I have seen today, the same can be said of the wider family of football.

“This is not solely a response to tragedy. It is also a reaction to the goodness of the people involved and the respect that so many have for the boys as individuals and for the family as a whole.

“For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us. He was a teammate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special.

“I could say so much about what he brought to our team but the truth is everyone who watched Diogo play could see it. Hard work, desire, commitment, great quality, goals. The essence of what a Liverpool player should be.

“There were also the parts that not everyone got to see. The person who never sought popularity but found it anyway. Not a friend to two people, a friend to everyone. Someone who made others feel good about themselves just by being with them. A person who cared deeply for his family.

“The last time we spoke, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him luck for his forthcoming wedding. In many ways, it was a dream summer for Diogo and his family, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that it should end like this.

“When I first came to the club, one of the first songs I got to know was the one that our fans sing for Diogo. I had not worked with him previously but I knew straight away that if the Liverpool supporters, who have seen so many great players over the years, had such a unique chant for Diogo, he must have special qualities.

“That we have lost those qualities in such terrible circumstances is something we have not yet come to terms with. For this reason, we need everyone at the club to stand together and to be there for one another. We owe this to Diogo, to Andre Silva, to their wider family and to ourselves.

“My condolences go to Diogo’s wife, Rute, their three beautiful children and to the parents of Diogo and Andre Silva.

“When the time is right, we will celebrate Diogo Jota, we will remember his goals and we will sing his song. For the time being, we will remember him as a unique human being and mourn his loss. He will never be forgotten.

“His name is Diogo.”

Hundreds of mourners lined the streets of Gondomar to pay their final respects to fallen Liverpool star Diogo Jota at the city’s chapel.

Fans snaked around the Portuguese principality as the tearful crowd queued to honour the footballer before his funeral tomorrow – alongside a host of Premier League stars including Manchester City icon Bernando Silva, Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot and Nottingham Forest’s Jota Silva.

Liverpool’s chief executive of football Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes also flew in to lead a club delegation at the wake.

Mourners sobbed and carried roses and national team scarves in homage to Jota, who won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal less than a month ago.

Aerial footage showed queues stretching from the small chapel, around the corner to the nearby church where his funeral will be held.

Diogo Jota’s heartbroken wife and parents gathered at a wake and held a vigil at the coffins of the former Wolves striker and his brother Andre as the world of football mourned their deaths today.

Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso, who only married the 28-year-old footballer last month on June 22, walked into Sao Cosme Chapel in Gondomar after returning with her husband’s body from Spain late last night.

The city overlooking Porto is where the couple met and started dating as teenagers. They married less than two weeks ago and have three young children.

It is believed the bodies of Diogo and Andre Silva are lying in the Chapel of Rest, which is behind the main church. It came as Diogo’s friend, former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, wiped away tears as he laid flowers and a scarf outside Anfield this afternoon.

Manchetser City star Bernardo Silva (c), a fellow member of the Portguese national team, arrives for Jota’s wake with wife Inês Tomaz (r)

Bernardo Silva (pictured) had previously paid his respects to his fallen teammate on social media, posting ‘Forever with us’ in Portguese, followed by a heart emoji

Manchester City star also posted a photograph of him and Jota with their arm around each other

Portuguese football player and friend Jota Silva (c) who plays for the Premier League club Nottingham Forest, arrives with flowers at the chapel

Manchester United player and Jota’s Portugal teammate Diogo Dalot arrives at the wake looking pensive

Liverpool’s Chief Executive of Football, Michael Edwards (left) and Sporting Director Richard Hughes (right) arrive into Portugal to attend the public wake

An aerial view shows the line of mourners snaking from the chapel to the church (top, middle of shot) where Jota’s funeral will be held tomorrow

Hundreds of mourners queue to pay their respects to Diogo Jota at the city centre chapel in the Portuguese city of Gondomar

A huge number of locals and travelling fans waited patiently to enter the chapel and say their farewells

Guests carry a wreath of flowers at a public wake held for Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva at the Capela da Ressurreicao on July 04, 2025 in Gondomar, Portugal

Mourners carried flags and football scarves bearing Diogo Jota’s face as they made the pilgrimage to the chapel

A fan wearing a Liverpool shirt holds up a a homemade message of condolence to the memory of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre

Mourners head out into the streets of Gondomar to pay their respects to the departed national team star

A mourner at the Chapel of Rest wearing a football scarf paying tribute to Diogo Jota

A Liverpool fan holds a floral tribute to Diogo Jota bearing the acronym YNWA – short for the club’s motto ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’

A devatstaed fan hides underneath a Portugal national flag as they deal with the shock of Jota’s sudden death

The grandfather of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva is comforted outside the funeral chapel

The father of Liverpool’s Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva is conforted by a woman during the wake for his two sons in Gondomar

Isabel, the mother of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, accompanied by soccer agent Jorge Mendes

The President of Portugal, Marcelo de Sousa, centre right, visiting the Chapel of Rest next to the Sao Cosme Chapel today

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro arrives for the brothers’ wake at the Sao Cosme Chapel in the town of Gondomar near Porto

Luis Montenegro met relatives and laid flowers during his 30 minute visit

Diogo Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes was in all black

Back in the UK, outside Anfield today, former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson cried as he laid flowers

He was overwhelmed as he looked at the flowers and other tributes

Former captain of Liverpool Jordan Henderson hugging with Diogo Jota last year. Jordan wept for him today

Jordan wept for Jota today

The Sao Cosme Chapel in the town of Gondomar. Flowers gifted from Porto FC arrive

Jota’s wake will take place this evening after his tragic death at the age of 28 (pictured: Jota alongside his wife Rute Cardoso after their wedding just a fortnight ago)

Diogo and Andre’s mother Isabel, father Joaquim and their grandfather were emotional on arriving at the chapel. Joaquim hugged several people and was supported by his brother and later raised a hand to mourners as he left with his wife. They returned around an hour later.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro also attended the wake along with Diogo’s agent Jorge Mendes. The President of Portugal, Marcelo de Sousa, came later.

The mood outside Sao Cosme Chapel was one of respectful silence and contemplation today. There is a major police presence and officers taped off roads and installed barriers near the church. Even on the streets beyond, in the restaurants and cafes of this Porto suburb, the mood is subdued and silent.

Father-of-three Diogo Jota was killed in the early hours of yesterday morning along with his footballer brother Andre Silva, 26.

Their acid green 200mph £180,000 Lamborghini Huracan burst into flames after a suspected tyre blowout on the A-52 highway near Zamora in north-west Spain. No other vehicles were involved, police have said.

The brothers were on a road trip to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to catch a ferry to the UK after the Liverpool player and Portuguese international was advised not to travel by plane following lung surgery.

Family members were filmed embracing each other as they broke down in tears before walking together towards the chapel.

The wake proper is set to start around 4pm, with Portugal’s president Marcelo de Sousa confirming he will be among those arriving at that time to pay their last respects ahead of a funeral mass in the neighbouring church – the Igrega Matriz de Gondomar – at 10am tomorrow.

It is not yet clear how public the wake will be. The chapel and neighbouring church are around a half-hour drive from the church in Porto where Diogo and his wife got married less than two weeks ago.

Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo initially revealed the funeral would take place at 4pm today before confirming yesterday evening it had been put back to tomorrow morning.

The Chapel of the Resurrection, the location of the wake for Liverpool’s Portuguese soccer player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva

People carry wreaths of flowers under police tape under the chapel

Investigators at the scene of the crash near Zamora, Spain today

Everton players Beto and Youssef Chermiti, and former player Ian Snodin lay tributes and pay their respects to Diogo Jota at Anfield

Jota and his wife after Liverpool won the title in May

It is understood the delay was linked to minor paperwork issues the men’s loved ones, who were still in Spain until late yesterday, were trying to resolve before being able to repatriate the bodies.

Gondomar Town Hall issued an emotional statement late yesterday as it confirmed it had decreed a day of official mourning.

It said: ‘Gondomar Town Hall expresses its deepest sympathy at the death of international footballer Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, illustrious Gondomar residents who left prematurely, leaving behind a remarkable sporting career and an example of dedication and professionalism.

‘Throughout his career, Diogo Jota stood out for his footballing talent and for the committed way in which he always represented the region and the country, winning national and international recognition.

‘At this time of sorrow and consternation, Gondomar Town Hall extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of these two Gondomar residents.

‘By way of tribute, the Mayor of Gondomar Luis Filipe Araujo, has decreed by official order a day of municipal mourning to be observed this Friday, 4 July.

‘During this period, the municipal flag will be flown at half-mast in all municipal buildings and facilities.’

The mayor described Diogo Jota today as ‘an extraordinary talent and a true ambassador for Gondomar’ where he grew up and went to school.

The bodies of Diogo and his brother were greeted by heartbroken supporters and applause as their coffins arrived at a church in Portugal ahead of their funeral tomorrow.

Mourners will gather early this morning to pay their respects at a wake in Gondomar after Jota, 28, and his sibling died in a fiery crash in the early hours on Thursday.

Dozens were already standing outside at the church last night and tears rolled down their faces as the hearses transporting the two bodies arrived after 11pm.

The tyre of Jota’s Lamborghini Huracan is said to have blown out while overtaking another vehicle on the A-52 at Cernadilla near Zamora, just ten miles over the border from Portugal. The supercar then came off the road, rolled and burst into flames.

The hearses carrying the bodies of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva arrived at a church in Gondomar and were greeted by heartbroken mourners, many of whom were in tears

The two vehicles drove past the amassed crowd and were followed by applause

The hearses departed the morgue where the bodies were held on Thursday afternoon

The acid green front of what appears to be the front of Jota’s Lamborghini Huracan lies at the side of the road where the incident took place in the early hours of Thursday morning

The crash, which took place at around 12.35am, also ignited the surrounding vegetation. The emergency services were called but the brothers could not be saved. Police have said they do not know who had been behind the wheel.

Spanish government official Angel Blanco said the siblings died at the scene.

On Thursday afternoon, hearses were spotted arriving at a funeral home in the Spanish town of Puebla de Sanabria, where the bodies were taken after the incident.

Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes was pictured accompanying the player’s mother as they entered the funeral home, and he told reporters it was a ‘very difficult’ time.

‘We lost two great people. Diogo is an example as a person, husband, son, professional. I still can’t believe it, it’s very difficult,’ said Mendes, in tears.

The hearses later departed for Gondomar.

This morning’s wake will take place just a half-hour drive from Jota’s home city of Porto, northern Portugal – where just two weeks ago the 28-year-old married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso in a service packed with family and friends.

Jota and his brother Andre, 26, were reportedly on a road trip to Santander to catch a ferry to Britain after he was advised not to fly following lung surgery.

Jota’s brother Andre, 26, was also a footballer and died in the crash

Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo said the wake will take place at Sao Cosme Chapel before the funeral Saturday at the Catholic church next door – the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar (pictured)

Jota is pictured (far right) with his wife Rute and younger brother Andre

Tyre marks can be seen on the road where Jota’s Lamborghini overtook a car and then collided straight into the crash barriers. Tragically the crash claimed the lives of the two brothers

Liverpool are due to start pre-season training on Monday, so Jota was heading back to the UK on a road trip. A Brittany Ferries service from Santander to Plymouth left at 4pm on Thursday, arriving in Devon at 11.15am on Friday.

The football club said in a statement that they were ‘devastated’ by the tragedy and that Diogo’s family, friends and fans had suffered an ‘unimaginable loss’. Flowers and tributes have been laid outside Anfield by supporters in tears.

Jota had just married the mother of his three children and partner since the age of 16. He had described himself as the luckiest man in the world to be her husband, sharing footage of their wedding day in his final Instagram post on Wednesday.

Rute shared more wedding day pictures in a social media post and said: ‘My dream come true.’ Jota then replied in the comments: ‘I’m the lucky one.’

The pair got together in 2013, it has been reported, and have three children together – two sons and a daughter who was born in November.

Jota was part of Liverpool’s Premier League-winning side in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals in 26 appearances. He also played for Portugal’s national team and helped them win the Nations League last month.

His younger brother played for Penafiel, in the second tier of Portuguese football.

The Spanish civil guard said Jota was found dead at the scene alongside his brother.

Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes was emotional when he arrived at the funeral home

Two hearses were spotted arriving at the funeral home in the town of Puebla de Sanabria

Police are investigating the cause of the crash but believe based on the marks on the road, pictured, a tyre blew out just before the incident

The vegetation roadside caught fire after the incident (pictured)

The couple have three children, pictured at Anfield in May after winning the Premier League

‘The 1-1-2 Castilla y León operations room received several calls reporting a vehicle accident at Km. 65 of the A-52, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A car was reported to have been involved in an accident and the vehicle was on fire,’ they said.

‘1-1-2 notified the Zamora Traffic Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Fire Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Center (CCU) of this accident.

‘From there, a Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and the Primary Care Medical Staff (MAP) from the Mombuey Health Center were sent, who confirmed the death of two people on the scene.’

The Portuguese national football team said they are ‘devastated’ by the death of Jota, adding he ‘was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents’.

His death was confirmed by Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Football Federation, who said in a statement: ‘The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, on Thursday morning, in Spain.

‘Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 matches for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.

‘On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and Andre Silva, as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where, respectively, lined up the players.

‘The Portuguese Football Federation has already asked UEFA for a minute’s silence, this Thursday, before the match of our national team with Spain, in the women’s European Championship. Lost to two champs.

The happy couple with their children Denis, Duarte, and a daughter born in 2024

They showed off their rings after exchanging vows in front of family and friends

Jota and Rute leave the church. They later said that they had both said: ‘Yes to forever.’

Jota described himself as the luckiest man in the world in an interview

‘The disappearance of Diogo and Andre Silva represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football and we will do everything to, daily, honor their legacy’.

Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and won three major trophies with the Merseyside club – including the Premier League title last season.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s friend and teammate, said on Thursday: ‘It doesn’t make any sense. Just now we were together for the national team, you were just married.

‘To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them.

‘RIP, Diogo and Andre. We will miss you.’

Liverpool boss Arne Slot penned a touching tribute to Jota, vowing he will ‘never be forgotten’. He began: ‘What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words but I know I do not.

‘All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.’

There were also tributes from the likes of Jurgen Klopp, who described Jota as his ‘great friend’, as well as Liverpool team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.

Mourners continue to gather for brothers’ public wake

Image source, PA Media Image caption, Portugal and RB Leipzig player Andre Silva and his partner Maria Rodrigues were among those at the wake

There has been a constant flow of people filing in and out of the Chapel of the Resurrection in Gondomar today, taking turns to pay their respects to Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva.

The brothers died in a car crash in Spain yesterday. Officials say their car went off the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle.

The wake in their hometown was originally private, restricted to family and friends.

By the afternoon, it had become a very public event, with crowds of mourners arriving with flowers, wreaths and handwritten messages in tow.

Meanwhile in Liverpool, a sea of floral tributes has been growing outside Anfield, with many fans looking to pay their respects.

On Saturday, a funeral will be held for the two brothers, again in Gondomar. We will be covering it live on the BBC News website – join us then.

You can continue to read about this story in our main news article.

The father of three, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso 11 days before the accident, was killed alongside his brother, Andre Silva, after a Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The brothers’ parents attended the Sao Cosme Chapel, the Capela da Ressurreicao, in the town of Gondomar near Porto on Friday, with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Jota’s agent also among attendees.

Some mourners embraced and cried before entering the venue as floral tributes of yellow and white and candles were lain by a tree outside.

People cried as they made their way to pay their respects (PA)

People held service sheets featuring pictures of both brothers, the largest one showing Jota smiling in his Liverpool FC shirt and making a heart sign with his hands.

One man came to pay his respects wearing a Liverpool top.

The wake comes ahead of their funeral, which parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, Jose Manuel Macedo, said would begin at 10am on Saturday.

Liverpool Football Club postponed the return of players for pre-season following Jota’s death, as a number of players past and present paid tribute.

The club’s manager, Arne Slot, said the “sense of shock is absolute”, adding: “He was a loved one to all of us.”

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson returned to Anfield with flowers and a club scarf on Friday as he paid his own tribute to Jota.

A sea of floral tributes had been left outside the ground, with many Liverpool fans and supporters of other clubs looking to pay their respects.

Flags have been lowered to half-mast at the stadium and all club stores, museums and tours have been closed until Monday, with staff offered wellbeing support.

Liverpool forward Mo Salah said the loss has made the prospect of returning to the club frightening.

One man wore a Liverpool shirt to pay his respects (PA)

He shared a black and white picture of him and Jota hugging on the pitch on social media, saying: “I am truly lost for words.

“Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break.

“Team mates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back.”

Jota and Silva were both found dead after the car crashed on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday.

Police said they were investigating the possibility that the Lamborghini left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking, and a source from the government sub-delegation in Zamora confirmed “a possible speeding incident” was being looked at.

Jota was killed in a car crash on Thursday (Mike Egerton/PA)

Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle.

No other vehicles are said to have been involved in the incident.

The club has opened physical and digital books of condolence in the wake of the deaths, and supporters and members of the public can go to the Anfield Road Stand reception area over the coming days to sign a message.

The online book can be found at https://www.liverpoolfc.com/club/diogo-jota-supporter-condolences