Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota, 28, who played for Liverpool, tragically passed away early in the Spanish morning in a car accident in the province of Zamora, Spain.
The crash occurred at kilometer 65 of the A-52 highway, heading toward Benavente, near the Sanabria region of Zamora. Jota died when the vehicle he was traveling in with his brother André, 26—also a professionalsoccer player with Penafiel—veered off the road and caught fire.
According to witnesses who called emergency services (112), the car was engulfed in flames, which also spread to nearby vegetation. Various sources report that the accident may have been caused by a tire blowout, which led the car to swerve off the road and ignite.
Liverpool Star, Former Atlético Madrid Player
Diogo Jota joined Liverpool in 2020 from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a €44.7 million transfer. Since then, he played 182 matches, scoring 65 goals and providing 26 assists for the Reds. During his time at the club, he won three major titles: the Premier League (2024–25), the FA Cup (2021–22), and the Carabao Cup (2021–22).
Internationally capped for Portugal, Jota had a brief stint with Atlético Madrid, who signed him from Paços Ferreira in 2016 for €7 million. He scored in a preseason friendly against Crotone (0–2), but never made an official debut for the Spanish side. That same summer, he was loaned to FC Porto, and later joined Wolves on loan before making a permanent move in 2018 for €14 million.
Mourning in Portugal
The news of Diogo Jota’s and his brother’s passing has sent shockwaves through Portugal, their home country. FC Porto and the Portuguese Football Federation have expressed their deepest condolences to the Jota family during this time of grief.
