Cristiano Ronaldo “cried a lot” when he learned of the untimely deaths of Portugal international team-mate Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, but did not want to cause an unnecessary distraction by attending their funeral.
The football world came together in morning on July 3 when Jota, 28, and his brother Silva, 26, tragically passed away in a car crash in Spain. Ronaldo was one of countless players to honour the two individuals with an emotional message once the news had broken.
The 40-year-old, who lifted the Nations League alongside Jota earlier this year, reflected on the tragedy in Part 2 of his sit down interview with Piers Morgan.
“I didn’t believe [it], when they sent me the message. I cried a lot. It was very, very difficult moments for everyone, for the country, for family, for friends, for teammates. Very, very, very sad news,” Ronaldo said.
“It was a shock moment. We still feel the aura there in the national team when you put the shirt [on] because Diogo was one of us.”
Portugal paid tribute to their No. 21 ahead of their 1–0 victory over Ireland on Saturday, Oct. 11. The 2026 World Cup qualifier was the first home match for the national team since Jota’s death, and it was his best friend Rúben Neves who scored the winner while wearing 21 on his back.
Ronaldo remembered the Liverpool star as a “very good guy, a quiet guy,” whose passing reiterated the need to “be happy to be here and live the moments, enjoy the life.”
