In a startling development likely to send shockwaves through the football world, authorities in Argentina, Dubai, and Dublin have reportedly released metadata from a series of private photos belonging to Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, as part of an ongoing multinational investigation. But what has stunned insiders and fans alike is not just the locations — it's the identity of the woman consistently appearing beside him.
The images, which are said to have been extracted from Jota’s private iCloud account following a digital forensics sweep, show him with a woman in at least three different international locations over a span of 18 months. According to sources close to the investigation, none of the photos included his wife, Rute Cardoso, whom he married in 2023 after a long-term relationship. Instead, the same unnamed woman appears beside him in each instance — her face sometimes obscured, but now partially confirmed by AI-based recognition cross-referenced with immigration and hotel check-in records.
Authorities first flagged the metadata in Buenos Aires, where a local cybercrime unit was assisting in a broader probe involving international football betting syndicates. “The images were not of criminal relevance to our case,” an Argentine investigator told The Guardian under condition of anonymity. “But the metadata pointed to multiple encrypted backups and photo logs involving Mr. Jota's devices — we handed these over to EU partners for cross-examination.”
In Dubai, the same pattern emerged. The woman, appearing in casual settings with Jota — including inside what appeared to be private villas and off-season training grounds — was traced to a European passport holder reportedly traveling under an alias.
Then came the Dublin batch — the most revealing. Irish investigators, working in parallel with Interpol, confirmed time-stamped metadata showing Jota and the woman together on four separate weekends in 2024, using what they described as “discreet rentals” booked through third-party agents.
So who is she?
According to two independent sources familiar with the case, the woman is not a celebrity, model, or football agent, as some online speculation has suggested. Instead, she is allegedly a language consultant and former UEFA translator, who previously worked with players during high-profile international fixtures. Her name is being withheld by media outlets due to legal considerations, but several journalists and fans have already begun connecting dots online.
While there is no allegation of criminal wrongdoing on Jota’s part, the emergence of this new information has placed enormous strain on the player’s public image. His management team has refused to comment, and Liverpool FC have not issued any official statement regarding the revelations.
Fans, meanwhile, are divided. On social media, hashtags like #WhoIsShe and #JotaLeaks are trending, while others are defending the Portuguese star's right to privacy, calling the leaks “an unacceptable invasion.”
As investigations continue across jurisdictions, the football world now awaits a response from Jota — or from the woman at the center of a story that’s becoming more than just about football.