Diogo Jota’s mourners have expressed their disappointment towards Cristiano Ronaldo, stating they feel ‘sad’ that he chose not to attend the funeral.

The reason behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to skip Diogo Jota’s funeral

Cristiano Ronaldo opted not to attend the funeral of his former teammate Diogo Jota today to avoid diverting attention from the solemn occasion.

Diogo Jota, a former Liverpool and Portugal forward, tragically passed away in a car accident this week at the young age of 28, along with his brother Andre.

The brothers are being laid to rest today in the small town of Gondomar, and the Daily Mirror reports that Ronaldo was cautious about attending.

As a prominent figure, the Al Nassr superstar’s presence might have inadvertently caused distress to Jota’s family and friends by attracting larger crowds, journalists, and photographers.

In the Portuguese cemetery of Gondomar, where Diogo Jota and his brother were interred today, the fragrance of flowers is overwhelming.

Liverpool winger Jota, aged 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, lost their lives when their Lamborghini crashed in the early hours of Thursday morning in northern Spain.

Just 11 days prior, Jota had married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso, also 28, who is the mother of their two sons, Dinis, four, and Duarte, two, as well as their baby daughter Mafalda, who is only eight months old.

Nearly everyone who spoke to the Mail expressed their sorrow at the thought of the brothers’ parents enduring the loss of two sons and of Jota’s new wife losing her beloved partner.

However, amidst the grief of his devastated family and the entire nation of Portugal, one prominent figure was absent – Cristiano Ronaldo, the iconic striker of Portugal, did not attend the funeral or the wake.

The father of three is reportedly vacationing on the island of Majorca and has been seen in two upscale locations aboard his £5.5 million 88-foot long Azimut Grande yacht, according to a local news source.

Video footage taken on Thursday – the day Jota and his brother passed away – shows the Al-Nassr player smiling and greeting fans while enjoying a swim in the sea.

This afternoon, angry mourners expressed their disappointment towards the Portugal captain for his absence.

Liliana Monteito, 44, paid tribute to Jota and his brother at the cemetery following the funeral, accompanied by her son Paulo, 16.

Liliana shared with MailOnline: ‘As the captain of the team, it’s truly disheartening to witness all the [players from] Liverpool coming here to Portugal, yet only a handful from the Portuguese team made the effort. I came across numerous fake videos claiming he was here, but that was not the case.

‘I feel there was a lack of support from the Portuguese team. It’s incredibly sad for the family and for Portugal as a whole.’

Liliana remarked that the absence of Ronaldo and other members of the Portugal squad spoke volumes. She stated: ‘We didn’t see a team presence. Not at all.’

Other fans expressed their sorrow to MailOnline, lamenting that their greatest player failed to show support during this tragic time.

Portugal supporter Ines Almeida was seen weeping at the wake of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva yesterday. Today, she observed the funeral from the street in front of the church.

She expressed her anger towards the Portuguese captain for not making an appearance.

Porto supporter Martim Fonseca, who was also outside the church, commented: ‘It’s surprising that we didn’t see him here. It’s unfortunate.’