Before kickoff during Friday’s Club World Cup quarterfinal matches in Orlando, Florida, and Philadelphia, FIFA honored Liverpool midfielder Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva.
Just after midnight on Thursday, the Lamborghini that Jota, 28, and Silva, 25, were driving crashed and caught fire on a remote section of highway, resulting in their deaths close to Zamora in northwest Spain.
Players gathered in a circle near midfield during the Al Hilal vs. Fluminense game at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium when a picture of the Portuguese soccer players was shown on the video board. The audience observed a moment of quiet.
A black-and-white picture of the twins was on display at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, where Brazil’s Palmeiras played Chelsea. Players from both sides wore black bands on their sleeves, and there was a moment of mourning.
Diogo Jota’s friend and Portugal national teammate Pedro Neto of Chelsea made the cross as he walked onto the pitch wearing a jersey with André Silva’s and Jota’s first names on the shoulder. With Enzo Fernández’s assistance, Neto held up the jersey during the quiet period.
The cause of the collision, which did not involve another car, is being looked into by Spanish police. They stated that they think a blown tyre might have been the cause.
Two weeks after he married his long-time partner Rute Cardoso while on vacation after a successful season in which he helped Liverpool win the Premier League, Jota passed away. The youngest of the couple’s three children was born last year.
Silva played in the lower leagues for the Portuguese team Penafiel.
