On July 7, 2025, in the wake of the tragic car crash that claimed the lives of Liverpool FC star Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, their father, Joaquim Silva, shared a heart-wrenching revelation with A Bola. Reflecting on his final phone call with Diogo just hours before the accident on July 3, Joaquim expressed a profound regret, saying, “I should’ve been in that car.” The call, which took place at 10:15 p.m. as Diogo and André drove through Spain, has left Joaquim tormented by what he didn’t say—a chance to urge his sons to stop for the night. This regret, coupled with the family’s ongoing grief, has deepened the tragedy felt across Gondomar, Portugal, and the global football community.
The Final Phone Call
The crash occurred at 12:30 a.m. on the A-52 highway near Cernadilla, Spain, when the Lamborghini Huracan carrying Diogo, 28, and André, 25, suffered a tire blowout while overtaking, veered off the road, and burst into flames, according to BBC Sport. Diogo, advised against flying due to recent lung surgery, was en route to Santander for a ferry to the UK for Liverpool’s pre-season training. Hours earlier, Joaquim spoke with Diogo, a call detailed in A Bola and corroborated by earlier reports from Daily Record about Diogo’s conversation with Gondomar SC president Alvaro Cerqueira around the same time.
Joaquim described the call as brief but joyful. “Diogo was laughing, talking about the wedding,” he told A Bola. “He said, ‘Pai, Rute’s still smiling from the church.’ André was singing in the background.” The call, lasting just under five minutes, centered on Diogo’s excitement for the upcoming season and his recovery from a pneumothorax, as noted by his physiotherapist Miguel Goncalves in Daily Mail. But Joaquim’s voice broke as he recalled his regret: “I didn’t tell them to stop, to rest. They were driving so late. I should’ve been in that car to make them pull over.” His words reflect a father’s instinct to protect, now replaced by guilt over a missed chance to intervene.
A Father’s Guilt and Grief
Dr. Maria Costa, a Lisbon-based grief counselor, explains, “In sudden tragedies, parents often fixate on ‘what-ifs,’ replaying final interactions. Joaquim’s regret is a natural response to the powerlessness of losing both sons.” The crash, which left no survivors, has been compounded by earlier family moments: Joaquim’s breakdown at the wake, saying, “That wasn’t my son,” as he viewed Diogo’s body; his claim of hearing Diogo’s voice at the crash’s timestamp; and the discovery of an envelope in Diogo’s bedroom containing a letter and video outlining plans for a Jota-Silva Academy. These moments, reported in prior accounts, paint a picture of a family clinging to memories amidst unbearable loss.
Joaquim’s regret is particularly poignant given his sacrifices for Diogo’s career. As The Athletic noted, Joaquim and Isabel, factory workers in Porto, struggled to fund Diogo’s youth football at Gondomar SC, even selling their car to cover fees. Diogo’s gratitude was evident in the envelope’s letter, where he wrote, “Pai, you sold your car for my trials.” Now, Joaquim’s wish to have been in the car reflects a desire to shield his sons, a sentiment echoed by Isabel cannavest whispered farewell, “You took my heart, but you left me your strength,” and Rute Cardoso’s note from Diogo’s training jacket, “You’re my strength.”
The Funeral and Community Support
The funeral on July 5 at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar drew hundreds, including Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, who carried floral tributes shaped like Diogo’s No. 20 and André’s No. 30 jerseys, per People. Rute, Diogo’s widow, wore his training jacket, and pallbearers included Rúben Neves and Bernardo Silva. The bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda, spoke of the family’s loss, saying, “There are no words when two urns lie before us.” Fans lined the streets, singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” a gesture mirrored at Anfield, where tributes included scarves and a card reading, “YNWA, Diogo and André.”
Joaquim’s revelation about the phone call has intensified the community’s empathy. A local fan, Fábio Silva, told The Independent, “Joaquim’s pain is ours. He feels he failed Diogo, but he gave him everything.” On X, fans shared support, with one post reading, “Joaquim’s regret breaks my heart. No father could’ve done more. YNWA.” The campaign to retire Diogo’s No. 20, noted by BBC Sport, gains momentum as a way to honor his legacy, alongside the proposed Jota-Silva Academy.
The Crash and Lingering Questions
The crash investigation, per ABC News, continues to probe whether speed or the tire blowout was the primary cause, with skid marks indicating Diogo or André attempted to avoid the crash for 11 seconds. A mysterious 11cm metallic shard found near the site, mentioned in earlier conversations, remains under forensic review, though no evidence of foul play has emerged. For Joaquim, these details are overshadowed by his personal loss. “I keep hearing his laugh from that call,” he told A Bola. “I should’ve said, ‘Son, stop driving.’”
The phone call’s timing, just after Diogo’s chat with Cerqueira, underscores his “happy moment,” as Cerqueira noted in Daily Record. Diogo’s excitement about his wedding to Rute on June 22, where he wrote on Instagram, “I’m the luckiest man,” and Rute’s post, “My dream came true,” adds a tragic layer to Joaquim’s regret. The family’s Catholic faith, reflected in the Porto wedding and funeral, offers some comfort, with Joaquim finding solace in Diogo’s letter and video, which he sees as a “final gift.”
A Legacy of Love and Loss
Joaquim’s regret joins other family touchstones: the keychain from Diogo’s childhood, Rute’s jacket note, Isabel’s farewell, and the academy plan. These artifacts, as Dr. Costa notes, “anchor the family to Diogo’s presence, helping them navigate guilt and grief.” The Jota-Silva Academy, detailed in the envelope found in Diogo’s bedroom, is moving forward, with Rute and Jorge Mendes planning its 2026 launch, per Record. Liverpool’s Arne Slot, quoted in BBC Sport, said, “Diogo’s legacy will live on, and we’ll ensure it does.”
In Gondomar, where olive trees shade Sao Cosme cemetery, and at Anfield, where fans continue to leave tributes, Joaquim’s words, “I should’ve been in that car,” resonate as a father’s cry of love. As The Guardian reported, Diogo’s humility and grit made him a beloved figure, and Joaquim’s regret, shared publicly to honor his sons, underscores a family’s enduring bond. For Diogo and André, their legacy—through the academy and the love they inspired—ensures they’ll never walk alone.