The football world has been rocked by the tragic news of the death of Liverpool FC forward Diogo Jota and his brother, André Teixeira da Silva, in a car accident in Spain. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Zamora, northern Spain. According to reports from the sports news outlet Marca, cited by Sur in English, the vehicle the brothers were travelling in left the road and burst into flames.
Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother André, 26, both professional footballers, lost their lives in the accident, which took place around 00:35 am at kilometre 65 of the A-52 motorway, near the municipality of Cernadilla. The devastating news comes just two weeks after Jota married his partner, Rute Cardoso, with whom he has three young children. Jota had been a key player for Liverpool FC since 2020, having previously played for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Atlético Madrid, though he never made a senior appearance for the latter. His brother, André Teixeira da Silva, played for Penafiel in the Portuguese second division.
It is important to clarify that this tragic event involves Diogo Jota, the Liverpool forward, and should not be confused with Diogo Costa, the highly-rated Portuguese goalkeeper for FC Porto and the Portugal national team. While some news aggregators might inadvertently link the two due to their similar first names and shared nationality, they are distinct individuals.
Meanwhile, Diogo Costa, the 25-year-old goalkeeper, continues to build an impressive career, recently celebrating significant achievements for both club and country. Born on September 19, 1999, Costa has established himself as one of the world’s top goalkeepers, known for his exceptional reflexes, penalty-saving prowess, and comfort with the ball at his feet, earning him the moniker of a ‘sweeper-keeper’.
Costa played a pivotal role in Portugal’s triumph in the 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals. In the final match against rivals Spain on June 8, 2025, he made a crucial penalty save from Álvaro Morata during the shootout, contributing to Portugal’s 5-3 victory after a 2-2 draw, as detailed by Wikipedia and FotMob.
At club level, Costa was named the new captain of FC Porto on July 12, 2024, following the retirement of club legend Pepe. He led his team to victory in the 2024 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira on August 3, 2024, overcoming Sporting CP in a thrilling 4-3 comeback. His consistent performances throughout the 2024-25 season saw him keep 16 clean sheets in 32 Primeira Liga matches, the highest in the league, according to FBref and FotMob. This stellar form earned him the Primeira Liga Goalkeeper of the Year award for the 2024-25 season, as well as inclusion in the league’s Team of the Year, marking his third such individual accolade (Wikipedia).
Diogo Costa’s career highlights also include winning the UEFA Youth League in 2019 with Porto’s youth team, and multiple domestic titles with the senior squad, including two Primeira Liga titles (2019-20, 2021-22), four Taça de Portugal trophies, and the Taça da Liga. His international youth career saw him win the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2016 and the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2018.
The football community mourns the profound loss of Diogo Jota and his brother, while simultaneously acknowledging the ongoing achievements of Diogo Costa, a testament to the diverse narratives within the sport.
