Diogo Jota’s parents, Isabel and Joaquim Silva, looked on somberly as Portugal began their World Cup campaign against DR Congo on Wednesday.
The pair were invited to Portugal’s opener in Houston as guests of the Portuguese federation after Jota and his brother Andre Silva tragically lost their lives in a car crash last year.
During the national anthems, an image of Jota was shown on the screens inside the stadium, while his parents Joaquim and Isabel were emotional in the crowd.
Jota, who earned 49 caps for Portugal – winning the UEFA Nations League twice – would likely have been in the squad for this World Cup having missed the tournament in 2022 due to injury.
Diogo Jota’s parents on their feet after Portugal took the lead against DR Congo
Diogo Jota’s mum, Isabel Silva, appearing emotional after Joao Neves’ goal
Jota, who earned 49 caps for Portugal, would likely have been in Portugal’s squad for this World Cup having missed the tournament in 2022 due to injury
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez paid his respects to the former Liverpool attacker by posthumously naming him as an honorary member of the squad.
Meanwhile all of the Portugal players are wearing bracelets – given out by Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro – with Jota’s name alongside their own.
‘Basically, the story of the wristband is, when we went to meet with the prime minister, he offered us this wristband,’ Portugal midfielder Vitinha explained.
‘They made sure that it was a wristband that we could wear on the pitch. It has all the specifics for us to be able to enter the pitch with it, with the name of all the players, plus the special name of Diogo Jota.
‘He let us choose if we wanted to use it or not, how [we use it], during the day or during the match. We received it with a lot of affection, and we chose to use it.’
All of the Portugal players wore bracelets – given out by Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro – with Jota’s name alongside their own.
Portugal scored after just six minutes when Joao Neves headed in a cross from Pedro Neto. Neves paid tribute to Jota, pointing to the sky in celebration.
Several members of the Portugal squad attended Jota’s funeral last summer, but captain Cristiano Ronaldo was a notable absentee. The all-time leading international goalscorer chose not to attend, to avoid taking the focus away from the service.
Scotland captain Andy Robertson, who played with Jota at Liverpool, vowed to Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, that he would play for both of them at the tournament in North America.
Jota and Robertson had spent the previous World Cup together at Liverpool’s training ground, bonding over their shared dream of representing their respective countries at the 2026 tournament.
Jota turned out 123 times for Liverpool, scoring 47 goals, and played a significant role in their 2024/25 Premier League title winning season. The Anfield faithful continuously paid their respects to Jota last season, singing his name in the 20th minute of every match, while the club also retired his No.20 shirt.
