Just like that, Diogo Jota is gone

In the wee hours of July 2nd, 2025, Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a blazing car wreck just on the outskirts of Spain. Jota was only 28. From what I could gather from articles, his car’s tire blew out, which ultimately led to a crash and a fire that took both of their lives. The tragedy of Jota’s passing lies in the fact that his life was really just beginning. Months ago, he won a championship with Liverpool. In early June, he won the Nations League with Portugal. Just a few days ago, he got married. Words can’t sum up how devastating and cruel this loss feels.

This moment feels eerily similar to the deaths of Emiliano Sala and Kobe Bryant–bizarre, freak accidents that unexpectedly took the lives of beloved athletes. Jota, for me, will always be remembered as the tireless, and determined striker that he was for Liverpool. There was a period when Jota struggled to find his form with the club. A year of no goals, of missed tries and offside attempts had led to some of his most frustrating moments as a pro-footballer. It was the craziest drought I had seen as a fan, and there were talks of Jota being labeled as a bust. A mid-table, club footballer at best and nothing more. Then, in a late-season game against Leeds in April of 2023, the drought was broken. A quick, through pass from Curtis Jones to Diogo Jota led to a tap-in goal that finally broke Jota’s year long goal drought. There was no celebrating by Jota. His head was down as his team mates rushed over to give him praises. The job’s not finished. They still had more football to play. As the game went on, the goals kept coming in for Liverpool. Jota scored 2 out of the 6 goals scored that night, with an assist to his name but still had no room for celebrations. His expression was stone cold, and it’s his quiet determination that I’ll always admire and miss the most.

RIP Diogo and Andre, YNWA.