Portugal paid an emotional tribute to the late Diogo Jota after defeating Croatia 2-1 to reach the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, almost one year after the Liverpool forward died in a car accident.
Captain Cristiano Ronaldo led the tribute after the final whistle by holding up a Portugal shirt bearing Jota’s number 21 as the squad gathered around him in a moment of remembrance.
The victory came just days before the first anniversary of the deaths of Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, who were killed in a car crash in Spain on 3 July 2025.
Before kick-off in Toronto, Jota’s image was displayed on the stadium’s big screen during the Portuguese national anthem, drawing loud applause from supporters.
Cameras also showed an emotional Ronaldo, who shared the pitch with Jota 32 times for Portugal.
Head coach Roberto Martinez had already dedicated Portugal’s World Cup campaign to the former Liverpool forward.
“Diogo is our sun and our light. We want to win the World Cup for him,” Martinez said before the match.
Jota was travelling back to England for Liverpool’s pre-season when the Lamborghini he was travelling in left the road following a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle.
He had chosen to travel by road and ferry after doctors advised him not to fly following minor surgery.
Midfielder Ruben Neves, one of Jota’s closest friends, revealed he still communicates with the late forward through a family WhatsApp group.
“I still talk to him. We have a WhatsApp group with Rute and Diogo, and it’s still there, and we continue to talk there,” Neves said.
“Whenever something special happens, I have the conversations archived on my WhatsApp so I can continue to send him messages.”
Neves also carried Jota’s coffin during his funeral in Gondomar in July 2025 and has since had a tattoo of the pair embracing while wearing Portugal colours.
“I and the entire national team team will do everything we can to keep Diogo here with us, on our team,” he added.
“The day after the news, for me, is the most difficult day of my life. The most important aspect for me to be able to play was wanting to play for Diogo first.”
Portugal’s players have worn special wristbands throughout the tournament in memory of Jota.
The wristbands, presented by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, feature the names of every squad member alongside Jota’s.
Midfielder Vitinha explained how the tribute came about.
“The story of the wristband is, when we went to meet with the prime minister, he offered us this wristband,” he said.
“They made sure that it was a wristband that we could wear on the pitch. It has all the specifics for us to be able to enter the pitch with it, with the name of all the players plus the special name of Diogo Jota.”
Jota’s parents, Joaquim and Isabel, attended Portugal’s opening group match against DR Congo in Houston, where they were honoured before kick-off.
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, later wrote on social media: “Representing Portugal at this tournament was a dream Diogo nurtured with everyone who loved him.
“While celebrating these moments of togetherness, we continue to keep Diogo and Andre in our thoughts.”
Portugal have endured an emotional tournament while trying to compete for the World Cup, with Martinez admitting the loss of Jota continues to affect the squad.
“Diogo’s dream is still with us and he sets the standards, he sets the light for the direction of this group,” Martinez said.
