Jota was en route to Liverpool for pre-season training and had chosen to travel by ferry due to recent minor surgery that made flying inadvisable. He was driving from Porto to Santander, a port city in northern Spain, to catch a ferry to England. The area where the accident occurred is roughly 190 miles from both Porto and the ferry terminal. Just 11 days earlier, Jota had married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.
Liverpool Football Club released a statement expressing devastation at what they described as an unimaginable loss. Manager Arne Slot called Jota the embodiment of a true Liverpool player and someone who lifted those around him. Slot shared that his last conversation with Jota was to congratulate him on Portugal's Nations League win and to wish him well for his wedding. He described Jota's summer as a dream, which made the tragedy even more heartbreaking.
The club's owners and leadership team, including Billy Hogan, John Henry, Tom Werner, and Mike Gordon, said they were numb with grief. They praised Jota for his intelligence, humor, and humility, calling him a person whose joy was infectious. Sporting director Richard Hughes and Fenway Sports Group executive Michael Edwards noted that the club would honor Jota with deep affection and respect, calling him irreplaceable.
Jota joined Liverpool in 2020, scoring 65 goals in 182 appearances. He had previously played for Pacos de Ferreira, Atletico Madrid, Porto, and Wolves, where he scored 44 goals in 131 games. He also netted 14 goals in 49 appearances for Portugal, including playing in the Nations League final win over Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's captain, shared his disbelief, recalling how they had just played together. He offered condolences to Jota's family and said he would always be with them. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called the loss heartbreaking and remembered Jota as a loving husband, father, and dear friend.
