Cristiano Ronaldo mourns Diogo Jota’s death: ‘It doesn’t make sense’

Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of Portugal’s national team, was shocked to learn that teammate Diogo Jota had passed away. He wrote in a social media post, “It doesn’t make sense.

Along with his brother, Andre Silva, 26, who is also a footballer, the 28-year-old Liverpool forward died in a car crash in Spain on Thursday.

According to a police report from Spain, the incident took place on the Zamora province’s A-52 highway.

Less than a month ago, Jota and Ronaldo played together for the national team, winning the UEFA Nations League title with a penalty win over Spain 5-3. Jota made his debut in that game as a substitute in the second half of extra time.

Jota’s last appearance was in the June 8 Nations League final in Munich, Germany.

He later wed his 10-year partner, who he had three children with, later that month.

It is illogical, he said. You had only just got married, Ronaldo said on the social media platform X. “We were only just playing for the national team together,” Ronaldo said.

I extend my condolences to your family, your wife, and your children, and wish them the best of all. You will always be there for them, I assure you. Diogo and Andre, rest in peace. We’ll all long for you.

No, not sentido. Ainda agora tinhas casado, ainda agora estávamos juntos na Seleço. Toda a força do mundo, à tua familia, à tua mulher, and aos teus filhos. Ensure that you always stay connected with your friends. Decansem André, Diogo, and Paz. Todos sentir… picture. https://twitter.com/H1qSTvPoQs

Jota made 49 appearances for Portugal and made the team’s top 49 UEFA Nations League appearances in both their UEFA Cup victories in 2019 and 2025, along with Ronaldo.

Jota started for Portugal on November 14, 2019, in a 6-0 win over Lithuania as a substitute in the second-half of the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier.

“That moment… a moment you’ve always wanted… debut for @Portugal! Made better by the fact that it forever preserved the best historical moment, Jota claimed at the time on Instagram.

Jota, who spoke to ESPN UK earlier this year, claimed that his favorite memory of seeing Ronaldo was his incredible hat-trick against Switzerland in the 2019 UEFA Nations League semifinal.

“It was on the bench,” I said. It was a fantastic game. When I first heard, “Oh, I watched this for years when I was a kid, and now I’m watching this in this team,” he said.

The forward also played a significant role in his team, Liverpool, winning the Premier League in the 2024-2020 campaign as well as the FA Cup and League Cup in 2021-22.