Although they did not confirm the identities of the victims, police in Castille and Leon said a Lamborghini crashed shortly after midnight and burst into flames with two men, aged 28 and 26 found dead.
‘We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day,’ the federation said in a statement.
The soccer world shared condolences about Jota, who played professionally for Liverpool in the English Premier League.
Who is Diogo Jota?
Jota, 28, was a forward on Liverpool’s Premier League championship squad last season, one that also won the FA Cup and League Cup.
‘Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,’ the statement said. ‘The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre.
‘Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request 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.’
Jota joined Liverpool from Wolverhampton in 2020, scoring a total of 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club in all competitions. He also made 49 international appearances for Portugal, twice winning the UEFA Nations League.
A father of three, Jota had just gotten married to his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, on June 28.
Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro called the incident ‘a sad day for football and for national and international sports.’
(This story was updated to add a video.)