Porto, Portugal — July 5, 2025
A moment of unbearable grief unfolded this weekend as Diogo Jota’s parents stood over the caskets of their two sons — Diogo and André — lost in the same tragic car accident just days earlier.
Thousands gathered outside the church in silent mourning, but it was the intimate, crushing scene inside that left even seasoned reporters speechless.
“There is no pain like this,” whispered one mourner. “No parent should ever have to bury their child — let alone both.”
But what truly broke the world’s heart came when Jota’s mother, trembling and clinging to a framed photograph of her sons, leaned over the coffins and softly whispered three words that echoed through the church, leaving those in attendance — and eventually, millions online — in tears:
“Take me instead.”
The words, raw and unrehearsed, were caught by a nearby family friend and later confirmed by multiple attendees. As they were shared online, they sparked a wave of emotional tributes from fans, fellow footballers, and parents everywhere.
“Those three words destroyed me,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I couldn’t stop crying.”
“This is the worst kind of pain. You could feel it through the screen,” another posted under a video of the funeral procession.
Diogo Jota, 28, and his younger brother André Silva, 24, were traveling from Portugal to northern Spain when their vehicle lost control and burst into flames. Officials say the car suffered a tire blowout while overtaking on the A-52 highway, just 16 km from the Portuguese border.
In the days following the tragedy, the football world rallied behind the family. Liverpool FC, Jota’s home club, held a moment of silence before their latest match. Fellow players from Portugal’s national team wore black armbands in tribute.
But nothing could prepare the world for the sorrow witnessed at the funeral.
One priest said he had “never seen a mother speak such powerful words with such quiet devastation.”
As the funeral ended, the crowd outside erupted in a spontaneous moment of applause — not just for the lives lost, but in respect for the unimaginable strength of the woman who had just said goodbye to both of her children.