Football star Diogo Jota’s kids not present at his funeral, priest sends message to them
The three children of the late star footballer, Diogo Jota were not present at his funeral service today, but that did not stop the officiating priest from sending an emotional message to them.
Dinis (4), Duarte (2), and eight-month-old Mafalda were not present at the sombre ceremony.
However, D. Manuel Linda, the Bishop of Porto, delivered a poignant message to them during the homily.
He said, “Dear Dinis, Mafalda, and Duarte, you are not here, but you are in our hearts. Perhaps you do not yet understand the pain, but we will pray for you. Your mother and grandparents are the ones who carry this unbearable sorrow. When one child dies, it’s torment—when there are two, words fail us.”
He added that it is human to cry. “And today, we all cry with you,” he said.
Liverpool star Diogo Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, were laid to rest in a joint funeral ceremony in their hometown of Gondomar, Portugal.
It would be recalled that the football star and his 25-year-old brother lost their lives in a car crash on Thursday, sending shockwaves through the football world and beyond.
Mourners filled the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, where the service was held, while thousands more lined the streets outside, listening via livestream.
Among those present was Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, visibly emotional as she accompanied the caskets of her husband and brother-in-law. Clad in white and holding a cream rose, Rute placed her hand on Jota’s coffin as it was carried into the church.
Floral tributes shaped like football shirts marked the brothers’ graves, with Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk seen holding a flower arrangement representing Jota’s number 20 shirt.
Andy Robertson carried a red jersey with Andre’s number 30. Former and current Liverpool and Portuguese teammates—including Jordan Henderson, James Milner, and Alexis Mac Allister—also paid their respects.
Jota married Rute Cardoso in a lavish ceremony just weeks before the tragedy. The couple had celebrated their marriage on June 22, never imagining the heartbreaking turn their lives would take so soon after.
Football mega star, Cristiano Ronaldo, was not present at the funeral, which attracted widespread support from the football community and fans across Portugal.
