Cristiano Ronaldo pulled on a shirt bearing the number 21 and held it aloft with his Portugal team-mates in Toronto – a tribute to Diogo Jota, one year to the day after the former Liverpool striker died in a car crash.
Portugal had just sealed a dramatic 2-1 win over Croatia to set up a last-16 tie against Spain. Ronaldo and Goncalo Ramos scored the goals, and late VAR drama denied Josko Gvardiol what would have been a Croatian equaliser. But the moment after the final whistle belonged to Jota.
“Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 and honoured Diogo Jota with a shirt tribute one year after his death.”
An image of Jota, who wore 21 for his country, appeared on the big screen during the national anthem and was met with a loud cheer. Then, as the players celebrated their victory, Ronaldo put on the special shirt and the squad gathered together, holding it high in front of the fans.
“We won for ourselves, for Diogo, and for Portugal!!! LET’S GO!!!!” Ronaldo wrote on social media alongside a photo of the tribute.
It is exactly one year since Jota, aged 28, died in a car accident in Spain alongside his younger brother, Andre Silva. Jota, who had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso just 11 days earlier, was travelling to Santander to board a ferry back to England for Liverpool’s pre-season. His Lamborghini left the road after a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle. Doctors had advised him against flying after minor surgery.
“Diogo is our sun and our light,” Portugal manager Roberto Martinez had said before the match. Martinez named Jota as an honorary ‘plus-one’ in his World Cup squad in May. “We want to win the World Cup for him.”
Jota’s close friend and former team-mate Ruben Neves revealed he still talks to him. “We have a WhatsApp group with Rute and Diogo, and it’s still there, and we continue to talk there,” Neves told Portuguese TV. “Whenever something special happens, I have the conversations archived on my WhatsApp so I can continue to send him messages.”
The Portugal squad have worn wristbands throughout the tournament in Jota’s memory, and his parents attended their opening game against DR Congo, where his image was also shown on the big screen.
Jota, who scored 14 goals in 49 appearances for Portugal, became a symbol of hope back home after rising from his hometown club Gondomar to Pacos de Ferreira, Porto, Wolves and finally Liverpool – a rare elite Portuguese footballer who never spent time at Benfica, Sporting or Porto’s academies.