Cristiano Ronaldo paid an emotional homage to the late Diogo Jota after Portugal advanced to the 2026 World Cup round of 16.
Portugal on Thursday, July 2, beat Croatia, 2-1, in the round of 32 at Toronto Stadium, Canada, to advance to the next round of the World Cup.
Following the win, Team Portugal paid a heartfelt tribute to their former player Jota, who died in a fatal car crash last year, a day before his first death anniversary.
Ronaldo dedicates Portugal win to Diogo Jota
After Thursday's clash ended, the world got to know that Portugal was playing for Diogo Jota.
As the final whistle blew and Portugal qualified for the next round of 16, Ronaldo led the team to an emotional walk towards Portugal fans wearing Jota’s number 21 jersey, a heartwarming tribute to their young talent who passed away tragically.
The five-time Ballon d’Or award winner, after the game, held the number 21 jersey in his hand as team Portugal posed for a group match.
Later, he shared the same picture on his Instagram and wrote, “We won for us, Diogo and Portugal! Let's Go!"
Roberto Martinez calls Diogo Jota ‘our light'
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez described Jota as "our light" and named him an honorary member of the World Cup squad.
He told reporters, “Several beautiful symbols of power and energy and what Jota meant for the team. He was someone who believed, and we have (a) responsibility for Diogo, and we are going to keep doing this.”
How did Diogo Jota die?
The 28-year-old Portuguese soccer player died in a car crash in northwestern Spain along with his brother Andre Silva on July 3, 2025.
Their Lamborghini suffered a tyre blowout and crashed on the A-52 motorway in the Zamora province.
Jota died just 11 days after marrying his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso. The couple tied the knot on June 22, 2025.
Diogo Jota had three children with his wife, Rute Cardoso: sons Dinis (born in February 2021) and Duarte (born in March 2023) and a daughter born in November 2024.
