Portugal Pays Tribute to Diogo Jota After Dramatic Win Over Croatia
Portugal marked the first anniversary of Diogo Jota’s passing with an emotional tribute after clinching a dramatic 2-1 World Cup victory over Croatia. The win secured a last‑16 showdown with Spain.
As the final whistle blew, captain Cristiano Ronaldo donned a special shirt featuring Jota’s iconic number 21. He and his teammates gathered on the pitch, raising the shirt high in memory of the late forward.
Earlier in the match, supporters inside the Toronto stadium applauded as Jota’s image appeared on the giant screen during the closing moments of the Portuguese national anthem. Ronaldo, who shared the field with Jota 32 times for Portugal, was visibly moved.
Before the game, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez described Jota as “our sun and our light.” He had previously named the forward an honorary “plus‑one” player when unveiling the World Cup squad in May.
“We want to win the World Cup for him,” Martinez added, underscoring the team’s motivation.
The tribute came exactly one year after Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, tragically died in a car crash in Spain on 3 July 2025. The Liverpool forward, aged 28, had passed away just 11 days after marrying his long‑term partner, Rute Cardoso.
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