Diogo Jota's Car Crash Due To 'Excessive Speed', Police Investigation Finds

Last Updated:July 08, 2025, 18:00 IST

Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in Spain, likely due to speeding.

A banner in memory of Diogo Jota is fixed on a fence at Liverpool FC's Anfield (AP)

Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota was likely speeding when his car veered off a motorway in Spain last week, killing him and his brother, Spanish police said on Tuesday.

The shock deaths of Jota, 28, and Andre Silva, 25, on July 3 plunged the football world into mourning, less than two weeks after the striker had married.

An ongoing investigation is examining “the marks left by one of the vehicle’s wheels… everything points to a possible excessive speed beyond the road’s speed limit," the Civil Guard stated.

“All the tests conducted so far indicate that the driver of the vehicle was Diogo Jota," it added.

The force had previously mentioned that a tyre had likely blown out while the vehicle was overtaking, leading it to crash and burst into flames in the northwestern province of Zamora.

Just hours before the accident, Jota had posted a video of his June 22 wedding to partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.

The deaths sparked an outpouring of grief, particularly in the brothers’ native Portugal and at Jota’s Premier League club Liverpool.

Political leaders, as well as star players from Portugal and Liverpool, joined family and friends at the funeral on Saturday in the Porto suburb of Gondomar.

Who Is Diogo Jota?

Following spells at Atletico Madrid, Porto, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Jota became a fan favourite at Liverpool after joining the Premier League giants in 2020.

He scored 65 times for the Reds in five seasons, lifting the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22 and helping them win a record-equalling 20th English league title last season.

The striker also earned 49 caps for Portugal and was part of the team that won this year’s UEFA Nations League.

Younger brother Andre played in midfield for FC Penafiel in Portugal’s second tier.

(With inputs from AFP)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...

Read More

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Location :

Madrid, Spain

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