FIFA honors Diogo Jota and brother André Silva before Club World Cup matches
FIFA paid tribute to Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, before kickoff at the Club World Cup quarterfinal games in Orlando, Florida, and Philadelphia on Friday.
The 28-year-old Jota and 25-year-old Silva were found dead near Zamora in northwestern Spain after the Lamborghini they were driving crashed and burst into flames on an isolated stretch of highway just after midnight Thursday.
At the match between Al Hilal and Fluminense at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, players formed a circle at midfield as the video board displayed a photo of the Portuguese soccer players. The crowd participated in a moment of silence.
At Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia where Brazil’s Palmeiras faced Chelsea, a black-and-white photo of the brothers was displayed and a moment of silence was observed as players on both teams wore a black band on their sleeves.
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, a friend and Portugal national teammate of Diogo Jota, made the sign of the cross as he entered the pitch with a jersey on his shoulder that had Jota’s and André Silva’s first names. Neto held up the jersey during the moment of silence with the help of Enzo Fernández.
Spanish police are investigating the cause of the crash, which did not involve another vehicle, they said. They said they believe it could have been caused by a blown tire.
Jota’s death occurred two weeks after he married longtime partner Rute Cardoso while on vacation following a long season when he helped Liverpool win the Premier League. The couple had three children, the youngest born last year.
Silva played for the Portuguese club Penafiel in the lower divisions.