'We want to win World Cup for him' - Portugal carry Jota's memory

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: 'We want to win World Cup for him' - Portugal carry Jota's memoryImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Diogo Jota helped Portugal win the Nations League in 2025ByNeil JohnstonBBC Sport journalist in TorontoPublished1 hour ago"I still talk to him," Ruben Neves says about Diogo Jota, his close friend and former Porto, Wolves and Portugal team-mate. It is a year since Jota, while a Liverpool player, died in a car accident in Spain, 11 days after marrying his long-term partner Rute Cardoso. His brother Andre Silva was also killed in the accident on 3 July 2025.

"Few people know this," Neves, who is wearing Jota's number 21 national shirt at the World Cup, told Portuguese TV show, external Alta Definicao. "We have a WhatsApp group with Rute and Diogo, and it's still there, and we continue to talk there. "Whenever something special happens, I have the conversations archived on my WhatsApp so I can continue to send him messages.

The Details

"Jota, 28, was on his way back to Liverpool for pre-season when the car, a Lamborghini, left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle. He was making the journey to England by car and ferry as doctors had advised the forward, who celebrated winning the Premier League title two months earlier, against flying because he had undergone minor surgery. One year on from his passing, Portugal play Croatia in Toronto on Thursday evening (00:00 BST on Friday morning) for a place in the last 16 at the World Cup.

It promises to be a highly emotional occasion for head coach Roberto Martinez, his players and staff, and the thousands of Portugal fans who have flooded into the Canadian city for the match. "Diogo is our sun and our light," says Martinez, who named Jota as an honorary 'plus-one' player when he announced his squad in May. "We want to win the World Cup for him.

"'A symbol of hope & inspiration - Jota was a Portuguese hero' Published3 July 2025Humble, generous and a star - Jota left his mark on everyone he met Published10 August 2025'Diogo's dream was to play at World Cup'"With you by our side, everything is possible. ," Jota wrote on social media after they overcame Spain to win the Nations League in Stuttgart a month before his death. He became a symbol of hope and inspiration back home after going from his hometown club Gondomar to Pacos de Ferreira, then to Porto, Wolverhampton and finally Liverpool.

Jota's path to stardom was highlighted as a rare case of an elite Portuguese footballer who never spent time at any of the big three academies - Benfica, Sporting and Porto. Just like at Liverpool though, his death has had a profound effect on the national team, for whom he scored 14 times in 49 appearances. As well as carrying the weight of expectation on their shoulders at this tournament, Portugal's players also carry the weight of grief for a team-mate who would have been among them this summer.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.