The funeral of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota is underway in Portugal where family, friends and former teammates have gathered to pay their respects.
Friends and family of the 28-year-old footballer, who died alongside his brother Andre Silva, 25, following a car accident on Thursday, were seen in tears as they carried their coffins into the church.
Distraught loved ones, including Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso, were seen walking through the the brothers’ hometown of Gondomar in tears while other distraught mourners were being held up as they walked.
Rute, 28, who shares three young children with Jota – two boys and a girl -was dressed all in white, clutching a cream-coloured rose as she placed her hand on her husband’s casket.
Only family and friends are allowed inside the church, however a livestream with audio of the service, lead by the Bishop of Porto, is being played outside to thousands of mourners who have lined the streets to pay their respects.
Current and former teammates of the Premier League star have been steadily arriving to the church this morning ahead of the service.
Liverpool players who arrived in the town last night, attended the funeral today alongside a host of Portuguese stars.
They included current captain Virgil Van Dijk, who held a flower arrangement in the shape of Diogo’s shirt with the number 20, and Andy Robertson, who carried a red shirt bearing Andre’s number 30.
In a heartwarming gesture, the Premier League club will reportedly pay the remainder of Jota’s contract to his family, as reported by Record. The Portugal international had two years remaining on his contract at Liverpool, which he signed in 2022.
The coffins of Diogo Jota And Andre Silva are carried by family, former teammates and friends into the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar where the funeral is being held
Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso places her hand on the coffin of her late husband as it is taken inside the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar
Diogo Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso is consoled by a friend as she follows the coffins of the 28-year-old and his brother Andre Silva, 25, during a joint funeral service
The coffins of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre are carried through the streets of Gondomar during a joint funeral procession
A poster of Andre Silva is carried as the coffins are walked to the Church ahead of the funeral for him and his brother Diogo Jota
Mourners at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva make their way into the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in the town of Gondoma to start the funeral service
Jota pictured during his wedding with wife Rute Cardoso – who he shares three young children with – on June 22. The footballer died in a car accident with his brother just weeks later
Andre (left) and Diogo pictured in their Porto FC kits. The pair both played for the team’s academy
Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk and Andy Robertson arrive at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva
Virgil Van Dijk, who held a flower arrangement in the shape of Diogo’s shirt with the number 20 and Andy Robertson, who carried a red shirt bearing Andre’s number 30
Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez (left) and Federico Chiesa (right) arrive for the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez (left), manager Arne Slot (centre) and midfielder Alexis Mac Allister (right) arrive for the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva
Curtis Jones (left) Jordan Henderson (third from left), James Milner (third from right) and Ryan Gravenberch (right) arrive at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva
Jota’s Liverpool teammates arrive for his and his brother’s funeral in Gondomar
Much of Liverpool’s current men’s squad have attended the funeral of their late teammate today alongside Van Dijk and Robertson.
Former Liverpool stars including Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Fabinho and Thiago as well as Manchester City’s Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva are also in attendance for the service today in Gondomar.
Portugal teammate Ruben Neves, who flew in to Portugal after playing for Al-Hilal in their Club World Cup clash in Orlando, US, was also a pallbearer for Diogo’s coffin.
Merseyside comedian John Bishop was also among the stars making their way inside the church with Portugal and Wolves defender Nelson Semedo.
Despite reports he was spotted in the Mediterranean, there was no sign of Portugal captain Christiano Ronaldo at the service today.
Ronaldo penned a heartfelt tribute to Jota and his brother Andre in a post on social media on Thursday.
‘It doesn’t make sense. Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you had gotten married,’ he wrote.
‘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.’
The congregation starts at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva being held at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in the town of Gondomar near Porto
Pallbearers carry the caskets of late Portugal’s player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva during their funeral on Saturday. Portugal teammate Ruben Neves can be seen as one of the pallbearers for Diogo’s coffin
Pallbearers carry the coffins of Portuguese footballers and brother Diogo Jota and Andre Silva
The grieving wife of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota has arrived in his Portuguese hometown ahead of his funeral later today
The mother-of-three was seen hugging well wishers as she exited her car near the Chapel of the Resurrection
Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves arrives at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva in the town of Gondomar
Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo cuts a solemn figure as he arrives for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva
Manchester City defender Ruben Dias arrives at the funeral of his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota in the town of Gondomar near Porto
Dias wore all black as he carried a bouquet of flowers inside the church ahead of the ceremony
Former Liverpool player Fabinho arrives at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva being held at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in the town of Gondomar
Thiago Alcantara, former football player, and his Wife Julia Vigas arrive at a funeral held for Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva
Manchester City Bernardo Silva arrives for the funeral of his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva who both died on Thursday
Yesterday, well wishers laid flowers at the wake for the brothers, which traditionally happens before the funeral in Portugal.
Several past and present players of the Premier League, who are attending the funeral today, were given a round of applause by local mourners as they passed through the streets to visit the chapel last night.
Mourners sobbed and carried roses and national team scarves in homage to Jota, who won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal less than a month ago, during a wake on Friday.
Aerial footage showed queues stretching from the small chapel, around the corner to the nearby church where his funeral will be held.
Jota’s heartbroken wife and parents gathered at the wake and held a vigil at the coffins of the former Wolves striker and his brother.
Rute, who married the 28-year-old footballer on June 22, walked into the chapel in Gondomar after returning with her husband’s body from Spain on Thursday.
The city overlooking Porto is where the couple, who share three children, met and started dating as teenagers.
Manchester United and Portugal player Bruno Fernandes arrives at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar
Portugal’s national football team coach Roberto Martinez (left) arrives for the funerals of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva at the Igrega Matriz de Gondomar
Diogo Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes arrives for the funeral of the Liverpool footballer at the Chapel of the Resurrection, in Gondomar
Former Portugal national team coach Fernando Santos (left) arrives at the Chapel of the Igrega Matriz de Gondomar on the day of the funeral ceremony of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva
Santos, who managed the Portuguese football team between 2014 and 2022, arrives at the Igrega Matriz de Gondomar on Saturday
Diogo Jota and Andre Silva’s grandfather arrives for the funeral of late Portugal’s players on Saturday
Chelsea and Portugal player Joao Felix arrives at the funeral of his national side teammate Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva
Portuguese player Nelson Semedo, who also played alongside Jota during his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, arrives for the funeral of the late footballer and his brother
FC Porto’s Fabio Cardoso arrives for the funeral of late Portugal’s player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, in Gondomar
Portuguese Minister of Sports Margarida Balseiro Lopes (centre) arrives for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, in Gondomar
Media gather at the funeral of Diogo Jota being held at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar on Saturday
Diogo and Andre’s mother Isabel, father Joaquim and their grandfather were also emotional on arriving at the chapel.
Joaquim hugged several people and was supported by his brother and later raised a hand to mourners as he left with his wife. They returned around an hour later.
Father-of-three Jota was killed in the early hours of Thursday morning along with his footballer brother Andre Silva, 25.
Their acid green 200mph £180,000 Lamborghini Huracan burst into flames after a suspected tyre blowout on the A-52 highway near Zamora in north-west Spain. No other vehicles were involved, police have said.
The brothers were on a road trip to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to catch a ferry to the UK after the Liverpool player and Portuguese international was advised not to travel by plane following lung surgery.