Diogo Jota's tragic death leaves Liverpool 'devastated'; Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez lead emotional tributes

Diogo Jota spent his last five years at Anfield and played a crucial role in Liverpool winning the Premier League last season.

Liverpool, on Thursday, released a statement saying that the Premier League club had been left "devastated" by the tragic death of Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother in a car crash in Spain. The incident happened near Zamora, Spain, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Liverpool striker Diogo Jota died along with his brother on July 3, 2025 in a road accident in northwest Spain (AFP)

The news has sent shockwaves through the football world, with numerous figures coming forward to pay tribute to the 28-year-old.

"Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota," the club said in a statement for the player who spent his last five years at Anfield and played a crucial role in the club winning the Premier League last season. "The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, André.

"Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and André's family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support."

Jota's former team-mate and ex-Wolves captain Ruben Neves, who currently plays for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, led the tributes among the players. He wrote: "They say we only lose people when we forget them. I will never forget you!"

Former Wolves forward Raul Jimenez, who also paid tribute, added: "It's hard to receive this kind of news, and I still can't believe it. An excellent colleague, friend, and above all, a great father. Thanks for everything, my friend. We'll always remember you. A hug to heaven. R.I.P."

Another former teammate, Ivan Cavaleiro, who spent four years at Molineux, shared a picture of himself alongside Jota on Instagram as the two held the Championship title. He captioned it: "A huge shock for all of us, lots of strength to the family and friends. Thank you for all these fantastic moments."

In a heartfelt statement confirming the news, the Portuguese Football Federation paid tribute to both players. The statement read: "We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day."

One of Jota's former club, FC Porto, also lined up to pay tribute adding: "Porto is in mourning. It is with shock and deep regret that we send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who was also our youth player. May they rest in peace."

Jota made 49 appearances for Portugal, while also donning the jersey of several top European clubs during his career. He previously played for Atletico Madrid and Porto before moving to England in 2017 with Wolves. He scored 65 goals for the Reds and also lifted the League Cup and FA Cup in the 2021/22 season. His brother André too was a professional footballer and played in second tier of Portuguese football.