Mourners gathered in their hundreds on Saturday in Gondomar, Portugal, for the funeral of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, following their tragic deaths in a car crash in Spain.
Family members, childhood friends, and some of the biggest names in football were seen arriving at the church where the funeral service was held. There was a shared sense of grief and disbelief as teammates past and present walked solemnly into the church, many with bowed heads and red eyes.
Live footage from outside the church captured the emotional scene as fans lined the streets, holding flowers and Liverpool scarves, while others wept quietly.
The two brothers died on Thursday after their vehicle veered off the road in Spain, reportedly due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another car. Spanish authorities confirmed the crash occurred at high speed, and both men died at the scene.
Jota, 28, had married his long-time partner just 11 days before the accident. The couple shared three children, now left without a father. Tributes have since poured in from around the football world, with Liverpool Football Club releasing a statement describing the forward as “a beloved teammate and fierce competitor who gave everything on and off the pitch.”
The Portuguese government has also expressed condolences, with the Prime Minister calling the loss “an immeasurable tragedy not only for the family but for the entire nation”.
The funeral procession made its way through the town after the church service, with applause breaking out from the crowd as the coffins of Jota and André were carried out side by side.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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