The atmosphere in the beautiful game has somewhat been marred since the tragic demise of Diogo Jota. Having lost his life in a car accident alongside his brother, Andre, on the midnight of Thursday, July 3, the late Liverpool forward has left the entire sporting community, and beyond, in utter shock. As many of his closest confidants and loved ones struggle to keep themselves together, Jota’s Portugal teammates, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves, couldn’t hold back their emotions either.

The Al Hilal defender and the midfielder lined up for today’s FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Brazil’s Fluminense. Given that it was the first match since the unfortunate incident transpired, both teams decided to observe a minute of silence in honor of Jota and Andre as the entire Camping World Stadium stood silent in a poignant display of solidarity.

While the starting XI’s of both sides gathered at the center circle, linking arms, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves were visibly emotional, with tears running down their faces as they stood in memory of their former compatriot. The former Manchester City defender and ex-Wolves midfielder and captain had to be consoled by their fellow Al Hilal teammates.

Meanwhile, the fans in the stands stood and kept clapping for the late Reds forward. A black-and-white photo of Diogo Jota (1996-2025) and his brother Andre Silva (2000-2025), taken during their time together at Porto FC, was also displayed on the large digital screen atop one of the stadium stands.

After the tribute, Cancelo was seen crouching down and wiping away his tears, with Neves also burying his face in his hands as both Portugal internationals tried to gather themselves to prepare for their quarter-final clash, which, unfortunately, ended in a 2-1 loss for Al Hilal.

Though Matheus Martinelli’s opening goal for Fluminense in the 40th minute was equalised by Al Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo just five minutes into the second half, the 70th minute mark saw Hercules put the Brazilian side back on track by scoring a winner.

As if the weight of Diogo Jota’s tragic passing wasn’t already heavy enough on Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, the defeat only deepened their sorrow. Not to mention, a similar story unfolded for the Portugal women’s national team yesterday. During their Group D opener against Spain, they first honored Jota with a moment of silence, only to then suffer a crushing 5-0 loss to the reigning World Champions.

Either way, what matters is the gesture, as clearly, not many would easily get over his unfortunate incident in the history of soccer. No wonder it saw Ruben Neves penning a heartfelt and touching letter for his late Portugal and ex-Wolves teammate.

Ruben Neves’ emotional letter to Diogo Jota

Just hours before the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final clash, Ruben Neves expressed his thoughts on his late friend’s sudden demise. Having shared a locker room for many years at Wolves as well as the Portugal national team, both maintained a close friendship with each other. That only saw the former Wolves skipper take to Instagram, sharing a carousel of pictures of the moments he shared with Jota.

Additionally, he wrote a moving letter in the caption. “Bug, wherever you are I know you will read this, we were never this lame and I may now regret it a little, but you know what you mean to me as much as I know what I am to you. More than a friendship, we’re family, and we won’t stop it just because now you decided to sign a contract a little further away from us!”

“When I go to the selection, you’ll still be next to me at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane… you’ll always be there with me as always,” added Ruben, promising the late Liverpool star of keeping his memory alive and always looking out for his close ones. Neves added that life had brought them together, and even death couldn’t break that bond.

While recalling all they had achieved and believing there was still so much more they could have done, Neves concluded by saying, “From today on, you will enter the field with me. and we will follow our path together, on the stage where we met. Diogoal, you are my favorite lemonade!! Amo-te 🤍.“

Notably, Jota and his brother Andre were traveling back to Portugal from the road that connects Spain. The tragic crash took place near Cernadilla in Spain’s Zamora province on the A-52 around midnight. While police authorities are still unclear about who was behind the wheel, the tyre of their Lamborghini reportedly burst while trying to overtake the car, causing them to lose control, with the vehicle rolling over to erupt in flames at around 12:35 AM.

Even though witnesses nearby alerted emergency services, it was too late. And on top of that, it was just a couple of weeks ago that Diogo Jota had tied the knot with his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso; they had three children. Meanwhile, Andre, 26, was also a professional footballer, playing for Portugal’s second-division side Penafiel.

Be that as it may, this is very heartbreaking news that won’t have shaken up not just the entire soccer community but beyond. In such tough times, one can only send enough strength and comfort to the loved ones and family members of Diogo Jota as they give their all to navigate such a deep loss. We extend our deepest condolences!