There is a Diogo Jota performance that many Liverpool supporters will remember above all others. In October 2022, with the Reds struggling for form, Jota and his teammates faced a formidable Manchester City side that would go on to win a historic treble that season. A month before the 2022 men’s World Cup—a tournament Jota later described as “one of his dreams” to play in—many players might have taken it easy to avoid injury. Not Jota. The Portuguese forward did not score or assist, but he played 100 minutes, tirelessly battling to win back possession. Liverpool won 1-0, but Jota’s relentless effort saw him injured in the final minute, causing him to miss the World Cup.
With the tournament set to come around again in 2026, Jota would likely have fulfilled that dream. Tragically, that opportunity, along with the chance to experience life as a young father and newlywed, was cruelly snatched from the 28-year-old on Thursday morning when he and his brother, André Silva, died in a car crash in northwestern Spain.
The Spirit of Hunger and Bravery
Perhaps Jota could have avoided injury against Manchester City by steering clear of difficult tackles. But that was not his style. “The way he played the game was full of this sort of scampering energy. He would hunt the ball down aggressively, and he’d hunt space down aggressively,” said Neil Atkinson, CEO and host of The Anfield Wrap, in an interview with CNN Sports’ Amanda Davies.
Jota’s technical skills, while impressive, were not on par with some of his teammates. Yet, it was his willingness to fight that endeared him to the Merseyside faithful. “They loved that work ethic, that sheer desire, and the fact that he had almost a sense of mischief about him in the manner of his goals as well,” Atkinson noted. This attitude resonated with fans, making it hard to attend a Liverpool game without hearing the crowd’s song for him.
Jota was vocal about his philosophy of hard work. “As a fan—I was a fan myself—you want to see a player fighting for the club, for the badge that they both love,” he said in a video released by Liverpool following the news of his death. His tenacity was evident not only on the field but also in his career choices. As a young player struggling for game time at Atlético Madrid, he opted to join Wolverhampton Wanderers, then in the Championship, England’s second tier. His bravery paid off, leading to a successful stint at Liverpool starting in 2020.
A City and a Club with Collective Spirit
At Liverpool, Jota found kinship with a city that, like him, often had to fight. In 1981, riots erupted in Liverpool due to tensions between police and the Black community. Then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was secretly advised by her finance minister, Geoffrey Howe, to pursue a policy of “managed decline” regarding the city. Howe likened spending public money on Liverpool to “trying to make water flow uphill.”
Eight years later, the Hillsborough disaster claimed 97 lives at an FA Cup semifinal. The city felt the establishment’s brunt as local police and some media blamed Liverpool fans. Despite tireless campaigning by victims’ families, it took until 2016 for an inquest to rule that the deceased were unlawfully killed and that fan behavior did not contribute to the disaster.
“The only way to get through this is to get through it together,” Atkinson said, reflecting the city’s resilience.
This collective spirit was echoed by Liverpool fan Sally, who spoke to CNN Sports’ Matias Grez outside Anfield. “You stick together because that’s the only way it’s going to work,” she said. “That’s the community spirit. It’s not just Liverpool, it’s Everton as well. Rivalries aside, times like this everyone comes together.” Among the tributes left for Jota and his brother outside Anfield were items from Everton fans, Liverpool’s local rivals.
Finding a Home Away from Home
To say that Jota—a man who grew up in a small town outside Porto, 886 miles away—fit well in Liverpool would be an understatement. His affinity for the city extended to some less-Portuguese pastimes. In tribute posts, former teammates Andy Robertson and Caoimhín Kelleher noted their surprise at Jota’s enjoyment of darts and horse racing, with Robertson jokingly referring to him as “Diogo MacJota.”
“You could relate to him,” Sally said. “You could tell he was a down-to-earth fella. He was very humble. He wasn’t showy-offy. He was just very much a family man. I think that’s what relates everyone in the city to him, because we’re all like a family.”
The funeral for Jota and his brother took place in their hometown of Gondomar on Saturday morning. The pain felt by their family, Jota’s wife, and their three children far exceeds that of those who admired him from afar. Yet, it is a testament to Jota’s spirit and tenacity that Liverpool too is grieving the loss of one of its most beloved sons.
