‘It can’t be true’ – Diogo Jota’s wife Rute recalls harrowing moment she discovered tragic death

Rute Cardoso, the wife of late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, has recounted the moments surrounding his death in extracts from the biography Diogo Jota: Forever In Our Hearts. Jota and his brother, André Silva, were killed in a motorway crash in Spain in July 2025 while traveling in a rented Lamborghini toward Santander to catch a ferry back to the UK, occurring just 11 days following his wedding.

Cardoso explained how she grew alarmed after her messages went undelivered and the pair failed to reach their hotel in Benavente. After family members contacted Spanish police, authorities confirmed both brothers had died. Cardoso later traveled past the crash site to the mortuary to collect Jota's belongings before returning with his body to Portugal, with proceeds from the book set to support grassroots initiatives via the LFC Foundation.