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The wife of late Portuguese soccer star Diogo Jota broke down while carrying his coffin after his funeral mass Saturday at Igreja Matriz church in Gondomar, Portugal, following his tragic death in a fiery car crash earlier this week.
Rute Cardoso was emotional while helping pallbearers Saturday, appearing to cry and lowering her head while they carried the ex-Liverpool standout’s coffin after the mass for Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, who also perished in the wreck that occurred just after midnight Thursday in Spain.
Jota was 28 years old and Silva, a fellow soccer player, was 25.
The siblings lost their lives when the Lamborghini they were driving veered off the road and burst into flames, investigators said.
It is unclear who was behind the wheel.
The horrific incident occurred just weeks after Jota and Cardoso, his partner of 10 years, tied the knot on June 22. They share three young children.
“A day we will never forget,” Jota captioned a joint Instagram post with Cardoso.
In the weeks leading up to his big day with Cardoso, Jota helped Portugal win the Nations League with a 5-3 triumph over Spain on June 8.
“I extend my deepest condolences to their family,” Portugal Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said. “It is a sad day for soccer and for national and international sports.”
Jota made 49 appearances for Portugal.
He suited up for Liverpool since 2020, scoring 65 goals across 182 appearances.
“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,” the club said in a statement.
The team added it requests “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.”
Liverpool’s captain, Virgil van Dijk, posted an emotional tribute to Jota on Instagram, calling him “a champion forever.”
“What a human being, what a player, but most importantly what an unbelievable family man,” he wrote.
“You meant so much to all of us and you always will! For your family to lose two sons, a husband and a father is just unimaginable. So cruel and unfair. My heart is breaking for all of your beautiful family, for Rute and for your kids. I promise you that in these difficult times and beyond we will always be there for your family.”
Van Dijk, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, teammate Andrew Robertson and manager Arne Slot were among those from Liverpool who attended Saturday’s funeral in Jota’s hometown.
The Liverpool captain had a red floral arrangement in the form of a soccer jersey with Jota’s No. 20 in white, while Robertson had a No. 30 version for Silva, per the Associated Press.
Team Portugal’s Rúben Neves served as a pallbearer, while fellow national team member João Cancelo and others also attended the funeral, per the report.
Hundreds of people reportedly paid their respects at the funeral.
“These are really, really sad days, as you can imagine,” Team Portugal manager Roberto Martínez said, per the AP. “But today we showed we are a large, close family. … Their spirit will be with us forever.”
