The Civil Guard said a vehicle veered off a motorway and burst into flames shortly after midnight in the municipality of Cernadilla in the province of Zamora, confirming the deaths of Jota, 28, and his brother Andre.

“Everything points to the blowout of a tyre while it (the vehicle) was overtaking,” the Civil Guard said in a statement.

Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca wrote on social media that he was “devastated”, calling Jota “an extraordinary person, respected by all his colleagues and opponents, someone blessed with an infectious joy and a reference for his own community”.

Proenca said they had asked UEFA for a minute’s silence before Portugal’s Women’s Euro 2025 match against Spain in Switzerland on Thursday.

“We have lost two champions. The death of Diogo and Andre Silva are irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything possible to honour their legacy every day,” Proenca added.

Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, posting a video of their wedding on Instagram just hours before the accident.

The former Atletico Madrid, Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers star scored nine goals in all competitions last season as Liverpool cruised to their 20th Premier League title.

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© Agence France-Presse