The Jota family is in mourning.
Less than two weeks after Diogo Jota tied the knot with his longtime love Rute Cardoso, the Liverpool FC soccer player was killed in a July 2 car crash alongside his younger brother André Silva, authorities confirmed to NBC News. He was 28.
The Spanish Guardia Civil reported that Jota and Silva, 26, were involved in an accident that occurred at 12:30 a.m. on a highway passing through the northwestern province of Zamora. In a preliminary investigation, police noted that the car’s tire blew out “while overtaking” before catching fire.
Liverpool FC—which he joined after leaving the Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020—shared their condolences following the accident.
“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,” read the July 3 statement. “We will continue to provide them with our full support.”
The organization, with whom Diogo had recently won the Premier League title, also emphasized that it would not be making any further comment at this time, and “request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.”
Jota’s teammate Christiano Ronaldo expressed his grief on Instagram following the tragic accident, writing in Spanish, “Just now, we were together in the National Team, just now you were married.”
“To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world,” he continued in the July 3 post. “I know you will always be with them. R.I.P. Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.”
The Portuguese athlete’s death comes 10 days after he and Cardoso married in an elaborate church ceremony alongside their two sons, Dinis, 4, Duarte, 2, and a 7-month-old daughter.
“Today is a day that will mark your lives for the rest of your days,” the priest said in the June 27 Instagram video shared by the couple. “This is the only day that you have been able to get together at the same time in the same place—your family, your friends, to celebrate what truly matters, which is love.”
Jota captioned the video, “A day we will never forget.”
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