Nothing could’ve prepared the soccer world for a void this wide. On Thursday morning in Spain, the Liverpool star Diogo Jota passed away. He was driving with his younger brother, Andre Silva, in the outskirts near the Portuguese border. In a cruel twist of fate, the brothers were met with a car crash. Neither of the two survived.

As for what the witnesses say, their car immediately caught fire that also spread to all the vegetation around. As soon as the news of his tragic passing was out, it shook the grounds of LFC nation and beyond. After all, Jota was in the prime of his career. The 28-year-old had just tied knots with his highschool sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, on June 22. She’s also the mother of his three children.

It’s so hard to take it all in. The Boston Red Sox, sister club of Liverpool FC under Fenway Sports Group ownership, also paid their condolences and tribute. Taking it to their social media, they reposted a video from Liverpool FC that captured Jota’s entire journey, captioning it, “Sending love to our LFC family ♥️.”

Just some time ago he was lifting the Premier League trophy, for which the team had waited long enough. And, that’s not it. More recently he was celebrating another milestone—winning the UEFA Nations League with Portugal.

It’s not easy to shake off this loss. The entire world is grieving for the charismatic talent who was gone in an instant. Everything about Jota was so complete. A sharp, adaptable attacker with excellent intuitions who only knew to evolve.

His calm demeanor and his ability to glide past defenders made him one of the most exciting players in the English league. There’s a reason he was “Jota the slotter” for the Liverpool nation. We’re not grieving the loss of a soccer player; there was so much more to Jota. For now, all the sportsmen, including the part owner of the Red Sox, are struggling to come to terms with Jota’s passing.

US sportsmen mourning the loss of Diogo Jota

The tragic accident of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva has left the entire sporting world grieving. The part owner of the Fenway Sports Group, LeBron James, who was just as saddened, shared his deepest condolences with the nation. “My prayers go out to his loved ones during this time! May you all be guided and protected! YNWA JOTA!!” The NBA legend wrote.

Jota’s national teammate—Cristiano Ronaldo—also paid his tribute and expressed his grief. “It doesn’t make sense,” he wrote. Well, it certainly didn’t. He continued, “Just now we were together in the national team; just now you had gotten married. To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you.”

Jota very recently came off a stellar season. He contributed exceptionally to Liverpool’s Premier League title win. In fact, his brother, just 25, also happened to be a professional footballer. He played for F.C. Penafiel in Portugal and Gondomar S.C.

Jürgen Klopp—manager of Liverpool FC—also chimed in on social media and called Jota his “great friend.” Clearly, Jota and Silva had touched many lives on and off the field. Their passing has truly hit the sporting world hard.

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