Diogo Jota’s widow arrives ahead of tragic striker’s funeral as Liverpool stars and rest of heartbroken football world prepare to say goodbye
The grieving wife of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota has arrived ahead of his funeral in Portugal later today.
Rute Cardoso, who married the 28-year-old footballer less than a month before his tragic death alongside his brother Andre Silva on Thursday, appeared outside the church on Saturday ahead of the ceremony at 10am.
It came after several members of the current Premier League side touched down in Jota’s hometown of Gondomar on Friday before visiting the Chapel of the Resurrection where the body of the 28-year-old and his brother lay at rest.
Players including Virgil Van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, Federico Chiesa, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and manager Arne Slot were given a round of applause by local mourners as they passed through the streets to visit the chapel last night.
A handful of former Liverpool stars also made the trip, among them Brighton’s James Milner and Ajax’s Jordan Henderson. The latter jetted to Portugal after paying a heartfelt tribute during a tearful return to Anfield earlier in the day.
Henderson was Jota’s captain when the Portuguese star arrived at the club in September 2020, the pair quickly developing a close friendship, and the England international was left in a state of disbelief by the news of his death.
A host of Premier League stars including Manchester City icon Bernardo Silva, Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot and Nottingham Forest’s Jota Silva have also made the trip to Portugal ahead of the funeral taking place at 10am today.
Father-of-three Jota died on Thursday morning when their green 200mph £180,000 Lamborghini Huracan burst into flames after a suspected tyre blowout along a highway near Zamora in north-west Spain.
The grieving wife of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota has arrived in his Portuguese hometown ahead of his funeral later today
Liverpool teammates past and present flew to Portugal to pay their respects, including Virgil Van Dijk (left), Alexis Mac Allister (centre, with hands in pocket), Caoimhin Kelleher (third from right) and Andy Robertson (second from right)
Curtis Jones (left), Andy Robertson (second from left) and Jordan Henderson (right) are given a round of applause by locals as they passed through the streets of Gondomar to Jota’s wake
Current and former Liverpool players including Alexis Macallister (second from left), Jordan Henderson (centre) and Federico Chiesa (third from right) were also present
Liverpool star Darwin Nunez, a teammate of Diogo Jota, attends the wake with partner Lorena Manas
Mourners sobbed and carried roses and national team scarves in homage to Jota, who won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal less than a month ago.
Aerial footage showed queues stretching from the small chapel, around the corner to the nearby church where his funeral will be held.
Jota’s heartbroken wife and parents gathered at a wake and held a vigil at the coffins of the former Wolves striker and his brother.
Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso, who married the 28-year-old footballer on June 22, walked into the chapel in Gondomar after returning with her husband’s body from Spain on Thursday.
The city overlooking Porto is where the couple, who share three children, met and started dating as teenagers.
Diogo and Andre’s mother Isabel, father Joaquim and their grandfather were also emotional on arriving at the chapel.
Joaquim hugged several people and was supported by his brother and later raised a hand to mourners as he left with his wife. They returned around an hour later
‘We’re available to celebrate [their life] with everyone and to share the pain and the Christian hope,’ Macedo told CN.
