Diogo Jota made a heartbreaking promise of ‘forever’ to his wife just days before the fatal car crash that claimed the life of the Liverpool football pro and his brother, leaving behind three young children
Liverpool star Diogo Jota was newly married to his childhood sweetheart when tragedy struck in a horrific car crash earlier this summer.
The talented footballer and his brother Andre tragically died in a car accident near the city of Zamora in Spain on July 3, and the football world has been in mourning ever since.
Diogo married his Rute Cardoso, 28, in a lavish ceremony on June 22, just days before his death. Sweet snaps show the loved-up couple with their three young children, blissfully unaware of the tragedy that lay before them.
Now, his wife and children will be present at Liverpool’s Premier League opener this evening where the team will play against Bournemouth. It’s thought the club will pay tribute to their late player, with them retiring the number 20 shirt in his memory.
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Childhood sweethearts
Diogo Jota and Rute Cardoso first met in their teenage years in Porto, Portugal, having attended the same school. Friends and family watched as their relationship blossomed alongside Diogo’s own rise through the footballing ranks.
From local youth clubs to making his mark in the Premier League, Rute was always by his side, a constant support during the pressures of professional sport.
Together, they built a family, welcoming three children over the years. Son Dinis was born in 2021, while Duarte was born in 2023. Their daughter arrived in November 2024.
Those close to the family described Diogo as a devoted father who cherished every moment with his children, sometimes sharing snaps with his followers online.
Dream wedding
After years together, the couple finally tied the knot on June 22, 2025, in an intimate ceremony in Porto. The wedding was attended by friends, family, and teammates who gathered to witness the union.
The couple shared glimpses of the special day on social media, with Diogo captioning a post, “A day we will never forget,” and Rute responding, “My dream came true.” The footballer replied, “But I’m the lucky one”.
The wedding day itself was a picture of happiness, from their first dance to moments of quiet intimacy shared between the couple. It seemed to mark the beginning of the next chapter in their lives, but sadly 11 days later news broke of Diogo’s fatal crash.
Stunning pictures shared via Instagram show the couple beaming from ear to ear in front of a church altar, with Rute looking breathtaking in an ivory dress and flowing veil.
In one photo, they are accompanied by their three young children. Another snap shows the couple emerging from the church amid a flurry of confetti, embarking on what should have been the first exciting steps of a long and happy life together.
Just 11 days after their wedding, Diogo and his brother André Silva were killed in a catastrophic car crash on Spain’s A‑52 highway. Reports indicate that their Lamborghini suffered a tyre blowout, veered off the road, and caught fire, leaving no chance for escape.
Heartbreakingly, Diogo’s final social media post was the couple’s wedding video that was posted less than 24 hours before the accident.
Special vow to three children
Diogo is survived by two sons and a daughter who was born in December 2024. Just a month before his daughter arrived, the footballer opened up about mental health and family life in a video on his club’s YouTube channel.
Sitting down with Lee Richardson, the club’s performance psychologist, Diogo highlighted how football, being a team sport, can sometimes allow players to mask their feelings.
“As a team sport, you can sometimes hide or benefit from what the team is doing or not. And in those individual sports, like boxing, Olympians, [they’re by] themselves. So when they are not good, you can clearly see something is wrong,” he shared.
The doting father went on to discuss his children, explaining that even after being on the pitch all day, he had to be “on it” when he came home to his family. He shared: “When I go home after playing, I still have a family. I have two kids, three almost, and the dogs, and the stress, it doesn’t stop.
In a poignant vow to his family, he said: “You want to be the best father you can be”. The star added: “[You] try to lead by example, give him good feedback, even though sometimes you want to get a bit more rest in the afternoon, and they are all happy because you’re finally at home and they want to play. I had this yesterday after the game. I wanted to get a bit of rest. One of my kids wanted to play some football and you need to be on it.”
Wife’s statement
The brothers had been heading to the Spanish port of Santander so Jota could return to Liverpool for pre-season training.
Their funeral took place in their hometown of Gondomar, near Porto. Rute made her first statement following his death on the one month anniversary of their wedding, posting three pictures from their big day, including a close up of the pair holding hands.
She captioned the post: “1 month of our ‘until death do us part’.”
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