Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a single-car accident near Zamora, Spain, police said Thursday.
Jota, a Portuguese international, was 28. Silva was 26.
Multiple reports said the siblings were found dead after their Lamborghini went off the road on an isolated stretch of highway. Police said the car was in flames upon arrival.
A Spanish Civil Guard spokesperson said it is believed that the driver lost control after a tire blew out, per ESPN. It was not immediately clear who was driving the car.
Jota helped Liverpool capture the Premier League championship last season. He also helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League last month.
“We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honor their legacy every day,” the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement.
Jota recorded 65 goals and 26 assists in 182 appearances for Liverpool since arriving from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020.
He married his wife, Rute Cardoso, last month. They have three children.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s teammate with Portugal, sent his condolences to the brothers’ family.
“It doesn’t make sense. We were just together with the national team, you had just gotten married,” Ronaldo wrote in Portuguese in a post on social media.
“To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.”
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who is a minority owner of Liverpool FC, also took to social media in response to the news.
“My prayers goes out to his loved ones during this time! May you all be guided and protected! YNWA JOTA!!” he wrote.
–Field Level Media
