One year after the on-field tragedy that claimed the life of forward Diogo Jota, the Portuguese national team is channeling his memory as a source of inspiration in the 2026 World Cup. Jota, who was a Liverpool player at the time of his death, passed away in a car accident in Spain on July 3, 2025, just 11 days after marrying his partner, Rute Cardoso. His brother, Andre Silva, also died in the same incident.
Ruben Neves, a close friend and former teammate of Jota from their time at Porto, Wolves, and the Portuguese national team, continues to maintain contact with Jota's widow. "We have a WhatsApp group with Rute and Diogo, and it's still there, and we continue to talk there," Neves stated in an interview with Portuguese television show Alta Definição. "Whenever something special happens, I have the conversations archived on my WhatsApp so I can continue to send him messages."
Neves is currently wearing Jota's former national team number 21 shirt during the World Cup. The accident occurred as Jota was en route to rejoin Liverpool for pre-season training. Doctors had advised against flying due to a minor surgery he had undergone, prompting him to travel by car and ferry. The forward had recently celebrated winning the Premier League title with Liverpool just two months prior to the accident.
As Portugal prepares to face Croatia in Toronto for a spot in the last 16 of the World Cup, the occasion is expected to be deeply emotional for head coach Roberto Martinez, his players, staff, and the traveling Portuguese supporters. Martinez has referred to Jota as an honorary "plus-one" player in his squad announcements. "Diogo is our sun and our light," Martinez said. "We want to win the World Cup for him."