💔 Local Authorities Reveal the TRUTH Behind Diogo Jota’s Fatal Crash — What Really Happened That Took Him and His Brother’s Lives
In a devastating announcement today, Spanish authorities confirmed that Liverpool and Portugal striker Diogo Jota, aged 28, and his younger brother André Filipe da Silva, 26, died in a horrific car crash in the early hours of July 3, 2025.
According to the Civil Guard and provincial emergency services, the brothers were traveling in a Lamborghini on the A‑52 highway near Cernadilla, Zamora—on a route linking Spain and northern Portugal—when tragedy struck. At approximately 00:40 local time, the vehicle reportedly suffered a tire blow-out while overtaking another car, causing it to veer off the road near kilometer 65. Both occupants were found unresponsive at the scene, as the car burst into flames, engulfing the vehicle and nearby vegetation before emergency services arrived—both were pronounced dead on-site .
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🚨 Crash Details – What Authorities Confirmed
Time & location: Around 12:40 a.m. on July 3, 2025, on the A‑52 motorway around the Palacios de Sanabria/Cernadilla stretch, Zamora province .
Vehicle: Lamborghini, reportedly overtaking when a tyre exploded, causing a loss of control .
Outcome: Emergency crews—including Civil Guard, firefighters, and emergency medical units—responded swiftly, but the flames had already claimed both lives .
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⚽ About the Victims
Diogo Jota
Born December 4, 1996, in Porto, Portugal.
Career highlights:
Youth rise at Gondomar & Paços de Ferreira.
Joined Atlético Madrid (no senior appearances), loan spells at Porto and Wolverhampton.
Transferred to Liverpool in September 2020 (~£41–45 million).
At Liverpool: 182 appearances, 65 goals, and instrumental in clinching the 2024–25 Premier League title, along with FA and League Cups .
Internationally: 49 caps, 14 goals for Portugal, part of UEFA Nations League-winning squads in 2019 and 2025 .
André Filipe da Silva
Born April 28, 2000, in Gondomar.
Played as an attacking midfielder/winger; started at Porto’s academy, later featuring for Paços de Ferreira and Penafiel in Portugal’s second division .
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❤️ Personal Tragedy
Just ten days prior, on June 22, 2025, Diogo Jota married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso in Porto. The couple, together since adolescence, had three young children: Denis (born 2021), Duarte (2023), and a little daughter born in 2024 . Tragically, what should have been a time of celebration ended in heartbreak mere days later.
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🕊️ Global Mourning & Official Tributes
Portuguese Football Federation: “Utterly devastated” — requested a UEFA minute of silence before Portugal’s Women’s Euro match vs Spain .
Liverpool FC: Expressed deep sorrow and offered support to Jota’s grieving family .
tributes from football icons like Gary Neville, PM of Portugal, FC Porto, Atlético Madrid, and others poured in, all acknowledging not just Jota’s “extraordinary talent” but his contagious spirit .
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🧐 What We Still Don’t Know
The official accident investigation is ongoing. Spanish police and forensic teams are verifying whether mechanical failure was the sole cause or if other factors contributed .
Autopsies scheduled in Zamora; preliminary findings cited tire failure but full lab results are pending .
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💥 Why This Story Matters
Shocking Contrasts: From a week of joy—marriage, family, career highpoints—to unimaginable loss.
Football Impact: Jota was a key figure for Liverpool and the national team. The community now grapples with losing not one, but two footballers in one horrific incident.
Ongoing Uncertainty: With investigations underway, more revelations are expected. Was it just a freak mechanical failure? Road conditions? Tyre quality?
Human Toll: A wife and three children left fatherless, a nation in mourning, two clubs devastated, and fans worldwide in shock.