CELEBRITY

Breaking News: Premier League Soccer Star Diogo Jota Dies in Tragic Car Crash at 28, Days After His Wedding which…

The Portuguese sportsman’s 26-year-old brother, fellow pro soccer player, André Silva, also died in the accident.

The incident took place in the Spanish province of Zamora, according to the BBC and Sky News, citing Spanish news agency EFE. Local police told the BBC that Jota and his brother died at about 12:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, July 3.

According to The Associated Press, the Spanish Civil Guard told the outlet that Jota and his brother were found dead after their car went off a road and ended up in flames.

Confirming Jota and his brother’s deaths, the Portuguese Football Federation shared a press release on Thursday and said they were “completely devastated.” Liverpool F.C. also shared a black-and-white photo of Jota on X with the words, “Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.”

“The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre,” a news release from the club read. “Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.”

“We will continue to provide them with our full support,” they added.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The player’s death comes just days after he married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he shares three children. The pair tied the knot on June 22, with Jota sharing a video from their nuptials on Instagram just hours before the crash.

“A day we will never forget ,” he captioned the post.

His wife also shared photos of their big day on June 28 with a caption (translated from Portuguese) that read, “June 22, 2025 • Yes to forever ️.”

The cause of the crash is being investigated by police, per the AP. Authorities said there were no other vehicles involved.

Paying tribute to Jota on Instagram, Cristiano Ronaldo, his teammate on the Portuguese national team, said his death “doesn’t make any sense.”

“Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you were married,” wrote Ronaldo, 40. “To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. R.I.P. Diogo and Andre We will all miss you.”

In their release, the Portuguese Football Federation said a “tragic accident” had “fatally claimed the lives of Diogo Jota and his brother in Zamora, Spain.”

The federation’s president, Dr. Pedro Proença, also shared a statement and called their deaths “an irreparable loss for Portuguese football.

“The Portuguese Football Federation and the entire Portuguese football community are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, this morning in Spain,” the statement read in part. “Much more than a fantastic player, with almost 50 caps for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all his teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.”

“On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and André Jota, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players played, respectively,” the statement continued.

“We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and André Silva represents an irreparable loss for Portuguese football and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day.”

The statement also added that they have asked UEFA to hold a minute’s silence before the Portuguese women’s team game at the Women’s European Championship on Thursday.Jota celebrated winning the Premier League with Liverpool back in May. He joined the club in September 2020 from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of $54 million, according to Sky News.

He made nearly 50 appearances for the Portuguese national team and scored 14 goals.