Long before the roar of Anfield, a six‑year‑old Diogo Jota tearfully pleaded with his father to let him quit swimming and play football instead. That’s how he landed on the roster of Gondomar youth teams, paying around €20 a month just to play for Gondomar youth teams—a financial burden his parents shouldered until he signed for Paços de Ferreira. Yet, even as a skinny teenager, training in hand-me-down boots and overlooked by top clubs, he was scoring freely—39 goals in 37 games one season, sometimes netting five against the same goalkeeper across two back‑to‑back youth matches. He told his coach that he hoped to play abroad one day and began learning English to prepare. But at just 17, a medical test at Paços de Ferreira revealed a heart condition that his parents feared would end his career. 

“I knew it could mean quitting football, but I didn’t believe for a second that it was going to happen”, the ever resilient Jota said when further tests cleared him. That season, still a teenager, he went on to score 14 goals in 35 matches across competitions for the senior team—a burst of form that caught the attention of Atlético Madrid, who signed him in 2016. He was loaned soon after to Wolverhampton, and by January 2018, the Wolves made that move permanent with €14 million. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo noted Jota’s work ethic, but it was Jürgen Klopp who called him “intense”, pinpointing the real reason Liverpool signed him. But was he? Because the same guy bought a full gaming rig and joined FIFA’s Weekend League when an ankle injury sidelined him at Liverpool in 2020. 

By February 2021, his gamer tag DiogoJota18 hit No. 1 on the global leaderboards, completing a flawless 30–0 run on PlayStation. That wasn’t a quick achievement; it later took him to launching his own esports team, Luna Galaxy, named after his daughter Luna. Off virtual fields, calling himself “the lucky one”, he married his childhood sweetheart and the mother of his three young children, Rute Cardoso, in a private ceremony. But he wasn’t lucky. Just eleven days after his wedding, Jota’s life was cut short. Tributes are continuing to pour in, one of them being from NBA icon and Liverpool co-owner LeBron James.

The NBA All-Time Scorer took to his official X account and retweeted the official post from Liverpool FC confirming the passing of Diego Luna, to write “My prayers goes out to his loved ones during this time! May you all be guided and protected! YNWA JOTA!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️”.

According to Spain’s Civil Guard, 28-year-old Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva were killed in a car crash in the municipality of Cernadilla, in the Zamora province of northwest Spain. The incident occurred when the Lamborghini they were travelling in left the road during an overtaking maneuver. Investigators at the scene found evidence of a burst tyre, which is believed to have caused the vehicle to lose control before veering off the road and catching fire.

And while there is no record of a personal friendship between the two, Jota was part of the club’s core during LeBron’s ownership. James has held a minority stake in Liverpool FC since 2011, when he acquired a 2% share through a deal with Fenway Sports Group. That investment, initially worth $6.5 million, is now reportedly valued at over $100 million.

The legacy left behind by Diogo Jota continues to be witnessed in the tributes pouring his way.

Robbie Fowler joins thousands of fans in remembering Diogo Jota

Stefan Bajcetic reportedly was the first Liverpool player to pay tribute to the late footballer. Taking to his Instagram stories, he wrote “you will be remembered my friend” alongside a black and white photograph of the pair training together. Bajcetic first broke into the Liverpool team during the 2022/23 season under Jurgen Klopp. He was included in 20 matchday squads alongside the Portuguese player. Though their time was brief, it was still memorable.

Amongst the other people who remember Jota were former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler and Liverpool comedian John Bishop. Bishop posted a picture of the late athlete in his Liverpool attire, and wrote “Heartbreaking news about Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family 💔”. Fowler, meanwhile, wrote on X “RIP Diogo 💔 Heartbreaking news , thoughts and prayers with all his family  . Absolutely devastated for his wife and 3 beautiful children 💔”.

Liverpool has already flown the flag at its town hall at half-mast in remembrance of the star athlete. Meanwhile, according to reports, Supporters descended in a crowd at Anfield barely hours after the news about Diogo Jota went viral. They laid flowers, shirts, scarves and other mementos in honor of him. CBS Sports reporter James Benge has revealed that in tribute to Diogo Jota and André Silva, a minute’s silence will be observed during all of Thursday and Friday’s matches at the Women’s European Championships. This also includes the game against Spain.