The funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother will take place today, July 4 (Portugal time).

The funeral of Diogo Jota, a striker on the Liverpool roster, will be held at 3pm today, July 4 (local time), just one day after the horrific traffic accident that killed him and his younger brother.

The funeral will take place in São Cosme, about a 30-minute drive from his hometown of Porto, where Jota married his longtime girlfriend Rute just two weeks ago in an intimate Catholic ceremony attended by family and friends. Following the requiem mass, the official burial will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday (July 5).

Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo said a prayer service would be held at the São Cosme Chapel, followed by a funeral mass at the adjacent Igreja Matriz de Gondomar. “The bodies of the two brothers will be taken to the chapel of the resurrection tomorrow (July 4) for a requiem mass, followed by a funeral at 10am on Saturday. We are ready to remember and share the pain and hope of the Catholic people,” he said.

Funeral held in Diogo Jota’s hometown

On the afternoon of July 3, a hearse left the funeral home in the town of Puebla de Sanabria, northwestern Spain – where the bodies of the two victims were taken after the accident. According to local sources, the bodies of Diogo Jota and his brother will be transferred to Portugal. 

Hearses outside the funeral home where the bodies of Diogo Jota and his brother were laid to rest, hours later, the car took both of them back to Portugal for their funeral today, July 4.

The accident happened when a Lamborghini Huracan tire suddenly burst while overtaking on the A-52 motorway, near Cernadilla, just 10 miles from the Portuguese border. Jota and his brother Andre were on their way to Santander to catch a ferry to the UK – he had been advised by doctors not to fly following a recent operation. Police are still investigating the identity of the driver, and suspect the cause of the accident was a tire burst while overtaking.

Scene of Diogo Jota’s accident

He and his younger brother both died in the tragic accident.

The burning car set fire to the surrounding vegetation.

Tire marks on the road before the accident

Police are investigating the incident.

The accident occurred at 00:35 a.m., causing the car to veer off the road, flip several times, and burst into flames, burning the surrounding vegetation. Despite the timely arrival of rescue forces, both brothers died on the spot.

Liverpool FC said the team, fans and Jota’s family were facing an “unimaginable loss”. Outside Anfield, many fans laid flowers and candles, many in tears.

A moment of silence in memory of Diogo Jota and his brother

Diogo Jota just held a wedding ceremony with Rute Cardoso – his childhood girlfriend and mother of three children – on June 22 in Porto. On his personal Instagram, he once called himself “the luckiest man in the world” to be her husband. Rute also posted many wedding photos with the caption: “My dream has come true”.

The couple have been together since 2013 and have three children together – two boys and a girl – and three greyhounds. The small family often shares photos of their trips to Dubai and Lapland on social media.

UEFA has announced a minute’s silence before the match between Portugal and Spain at the Women’s European Championship on July 5.

Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and has won three major trophies, including the 2024/25 Premier League title. He also helped Portugal win the Nations League last month.

The world of sports was shocked by the news. Cristiano Ronaldo – Jota’s teammate – wrote: “This is nonsense. We were together in the national team. He just got married. My condolences to his family, wife and children. RIP, Diogo and Andre. You will be missed.”