Cristiano Ronaldo and his team paid a heartfelt tribute to former teammate Diogo Jota after Portugal’s 2-1 World Cup victory against Croatia in Toronto. This match coincided with the one-year anniversary of Jota and his brother Andre Silva’s tragic passing in a car accident in western Spain. Ronaldo, who scored the opening goal with a penalty, donned Jota’s No. 21 jersey after the game, pointing to the sky with tears in his eyes.
“We knew it before the game, it was such a special moment,” shared Ronaldo with Fox. “We speak today, our group, about the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable. I was amazed because the situation of today means a lot to us, not only because we won the game but also the way.” Ronaldo expressed on Portugal’s Sport TV, “We know he is present with us and it only made sense to win today to honor him in the best way.”
Diogo Jota, who represented Portugal 49 times and scored 14 goals, tragically passed away on July 3 last year alongside his brother Silva in a fatal car accident. A month post his demise, Portugal honored Jota by passing his No. 21 national team jersey to his close friend and former teammate Ruben Neves. Jota was a member of the team that clinched the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025, triumphing over Spain in the final. Just before his untimely death, he celebrated this success with his teammates. His brother Silva, also a professional footballer, played for the Portuguese second-tier club Penafiel.
The Spanish police reported that Jota’s car veered off the road while attempting to overtake another vehicle, resulting in a tire blowout and subsequent fire. Both Jota and Andre lost their lives at the accident site.
