Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota has tragically died alongside his brother in a car crash in Spain, just days after marrying his long-term girlfriend Rute Cardoso.
Hours before the heartbreaking news hit headlines, the mother-of-three had shared a gut-wrenching video from their wedding, which took place on the 22 June – just 10 days ago.
Captioned, ‘A day we will never forgot’, the couple could be seen spending the day with their three children with black and white shots taking up the bulk of the video, showing the joyous newlyweds posing beside one another.
The car carrying the brother veered off the road before crashing into an embankment and catching fire. Flames engulfed the vehicle within a matter of minutes before catching onto nearby vegetation.
Witnesses alerted local authorities after noticing the flames in the middle of the night.
Despite immediately reporting to the scene, the Spanish emergency services were unable to save the pair.
The Portuguese Football Federation has claimed its members are ‘devastated’ by the pair’s passing, adding: “Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football.”
As part of Liverpool’s Premier League-winning side, Jota scored six goals in 26 appearances this year. He arrived at the Merseyside team in 2020 following his departure from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020.
At Liverpool, he established himself as a attacker under much-loved managers Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot. He was part of a time that secured the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup throughout the duration of his five-year spell at Anfield.
The Portuguese national team have also said in a statement: “Diogo Jota was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents.
“He had a contagious joy and was a reference point in his own community.”
Joto resided in Porto, Portugal with wife Rute and their kids. According to Catalunya Diari, it’s likely his funeral will be held there.
Featured Image Credit: instagram/ @rutecfcardoso14
