Family, football stars, and other mourners have gathered for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva in their hometown of Gondomar, Portugal.
Family members and prominent figures from the football world were seen entering the church, with live footage capturing the hundreds of people assembling outside to pay their respects.
The brothers tragically lost their lives in a car accident in Spain on Thursday, reportedly caused by a tire blowout while attempting to overtake another vehicle.
Diogo Jota, 28, had just married his long-time partner 11 days prior to the accident, and they have three children together.
A large crowd of mourners continues to gather outside the church as the funeral service concludes this morning.
Earlier, attendees watched as Diogo Jota’s former and current teammates, including former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, arrived to honour him.
The procession is now heading towards the cemetery where Diogo Jota and André Silva will be laid to rest.
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Family and friends accompany the coffins as “Ave Maria” plays from the church speakers, and the church bell tolls once more.
The large gathering of guests—family, friends, and loved ones—receives applause from the fans present.
Guests comfort one another as they walk together.
The group seems to be heading towards a nearby cemetery for a private ceremony.
It is particularly touching to see so many people standing in silence outside the church, not only in the courtyard but also in the side streets.
Even those who are too far from the speakers to hear the service seem to feel the need to be present, simply wanting to honor the moment and pay their respects.
Hundreds of miles away at Anfield in Liverpool, fans have been paying tribute to Diogo Jota, who joined the club in 2020 and scored 65 goals in 182 appearances.
A composite image shows ten-year-old Francisco Silva wearing a Liverpool shirt with Jota’s signed number 20 on the back. Francisco, who lives in Gondomar, is outside the church for the funeral of Diogo Jota and André Silva to pay his respects.
He shares that Jota is his favorite player and that the shirt was signed by him during a school visit two years ago.
The service begins with the Lord’s Prayer, which can be heard over a live audio feed outside the church.
The Jota and Silva family are Catholic, and a priest from Gondomar mentioned to local media yesterday that Jota held his faith in high regard.
It is an emotional sight to see football players from Liverpool, Portugal’s national team, and various other teams that Diogo Jota and André Silva played for.
