In Gondomar, Portugal, the funeral of the striker who died alongside his brother in a car accident. Federico Chiesa was among those in attendance. The bishop: “We are here to share this infinite pain.”

Liverpool teammates with a red wreath bearing the number 20, Diogo Jota’s jersey number. Many teammates from the Portuguese national team and other teams. In a moving and intimate atmosphere, many football stars, family members, and close friends attended the private funeral in Gondomar for the Portuguese striker and his brother André Silva, who died two days ago in a car accident in Spain. Also present were his widow, Rute, his parents, and his grandfather.
Hundreds of people had gathered in front of the parish church two hours earlier. They greeted Rute Cardoso, Diogo Jota’s young widow and mother of their three young children, who had married him on June 22, with emotional applause. There was a long round of applause as the two coffins arrived, accompanied by the funeral procession from the Chapel of the Resurrection to the parish church of Gondomar: André Silva’s coffin was carried by his Penafiel teammates. Then came Diogo Jota’s coffin, with Rúben Neves among friends and family carrying the casket. Last night, the Portuguese player from Al Hilal was consoled by his teammates as he cried on the field before the lost match against Fluminense in Orlando, Florida. “Dear Dinis, Mafalda, and Duarte,” said the bishop during his homily, addressing a message to Diogo Jota’s children, who were not present, “at this moment you are suffering immensely, or perhaps not, because you do not realize it. I will pray hard for you. Your mother and grandparents are suffering greatly. Seeing the mortal remains of a child must be an endless torment; when there are two coffins, there are no words. But there are feelings. We are here to say that we too have suffered greatly. We are here with you emotionally.”

His teammates—  In addition to the families of the two players, numerous Portuguese football personalities attended yesterday’s wake, including Bernardo Silva, Jota Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Pote, and Rui Jorge. Many Liverpool players are also present today: Endo, Kelleher, Van Dijk, Curtis Jones, Robertson, Chiesa, Elliott, Mac Allister, and Connor Bradley, as well as former players Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho. Arne Slot, the Reds’ coach, also joined the team. They were joined by many Portuguese internationals, including Bernardo Silva, João Moutinho, João Félix, José Fonte, Danilo, Adrien Silva, Ricardo, and André Horta.

The wake—  Hundreds of people attended the wake yesterday. Among them were Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes, and Porto president André Villas-Boas. “Football is in mourning. Diogo was an icon of the talent that Portuguese football represents,” said Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença. Family and friends were present, including his parents and grandfather. Diogo Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, in the presence of their three children.

Condolences—  The tragedy has sparked a wave of emotion in football and beyond. Liverpool, who will pay Jota’s family the remaining two years of his contract, opened a book of condolences and lowered their flags to half-mast, with dozens of fans laying a sea of flowers, balloons, Jota shirts, and scarves with the words “Rest in peace Diogo Jota” outside Anfield. At Diogo Jota’s football academy, near Gondomar SC, where the former Porto and Atletico Madrid player took his first steps in the world of football, fans brought flowers, scarves, candles, and jerseys. “Thank you, Diogo Jota,” read a handwritten message from a child. Pedro Neves, Jota’s friend at school in Gondomar, said he would remember him as “a very friendly, very courteous person who loved everyone and always had a smile on his face.” As a sign of mourning, Liverpool has postponed the resumption of training until Monday. Only then will the players return, who were initially due to return to work yesterday. Diogo Jota was supposed to reach Liverpool by ferry from Santander, in northern Spain, when the accident occurred, as he had been advised not to fly due to recent lung surgery. However, the Lamborghini Huracan in which he was traveling with his brother André veered off the road and caught fire after a tire burst while overtaking, leaving the two young men with no chance of survival.