Cristiano Ronaldo has shared an emotional tribute to his Portugal teammate, Diogo Jota, following the footballer’s death in a tragic car crash on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
Jota, aged 28, died after his Lamborghini went off the road and crashed in northern Spain. His younger brother, André, who was also in the car, died in the accident.
The crash happened on the A-52 motorway in Cernadilla, near Zamora, close to the Portugal-Spain border. Reports say a tyre may have burst while they were overtaking. The vehicle veered off the road and burst into flames.
The news has left the football world in shock — especially since it happened just weeks after Jota married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso, who is also the mother of his three children.
On Wednesday afternoon, just hours before the accident, Jota shared a final Instagram post celebrating his marriage, calling himself “the luckiest man in the world.”
Reacting to the heartbreaking news, Ronaldo said:
“It doesn’t make sense. Just now we were together in the national team, just now you had gotten married.”
“To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you.”
Jota had earned 49 caps for Portugal and scored 14 goals in his international career. He and Ronaldo were part of the team that recently lifted the UEFA Nations League trophy for Portugal.
The Portuguese Football Federation and fans around the world have continued to pay tribute to the striker and his brother.
