PORTO (BN24) — Players from Portugal and Spain paid tribute to Portugal international and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva on Thursday, observing a moment of silence before the opening match of the Women’s European Championship.
The two teams stood together on the field with heads bowed as the stadium observed roughly 20 seconds of silence in memory of the brothers, who died early Wednesday in a car crash in northwestern Spain. As the silence ended, supporters broke into sustained applause.
Both squads wore black armbands to mark the occasion.
Spanish police said the 28-year-old Jota and his 25-year-old brother were killed when the Lamborghini they were traveling in veered off the A-52 highway near Zamora and burst into flames. News of their deaths has sparked a wave of tributes from across men’s and women’s football.
Ahead of kickoff, Portuguese fans unfurled banners honoring the late forward, including one reading “Thank you for everything” and another simply stating, “Rest in peace.”
“Today, for them,” Portuguese forward Francisca “Kika” Nazareth wrote on Instagram in the hours before the match.
Fellow national team striker Jéssica Silva shared her own heartfelt message:
“One of our own,” she wrote. “Diogo wasn’t just a star. He was one of the good ones, the loyal ones, the attentive ones, the easy-going ones… one of those who don’t need noise to make their mark. Thank you, Diogo. Thank you, André. Football has become poorer… and so have we. You will never be forgotten.”
