The Liverpool F.C. soccer star Diogo Jota, 28, was killed in a car crash in Spain overnight on Thursday, according to the Spanish police.
Mr. Jota, who was married two weeks ago, died alongside his brother, André, 26, a professional soccer player in Portugal.
According to Spain’s Guardia Civil, emergency crews responded to an accident around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday on the A-52 highway near Cernadilla, a town in northern Spain near the Portugal border.
“Everything points that a car left the road due to a tire blowout while overtaking. Car went on fire, and both vehicle occupants were killed by the accident. After identification the victims are Diogo Jota Liverpool player and his brother Andre Felipe,” the Guardia Civil said in an emailed statement.
According to a post on X from the council of Zamora, the province where Cernadilla is located, fire department crews were dispatched after a vehicle crashed and caught fire, and the flames spread to nearby vegetation. Two young men, aged 28 and 26, died, the post said.
Born in Porto, Portugal, Diogo Jota began his soccer career in youth and professional leagues in Portugal and Spain before moving to the English Premier League in 2017, when he was signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers. He later joined Liverpool, and was a central part of Liverpool’s Premier League-winning title last season.
Ali Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in London.
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