by Portugal was confronted with an impossible task from the dark: after the heartbreaking tragedy of losing its own. The death of Diogo Jota, who was killed in the early morning of Thursday morning in a car accident with his brother Andre Silva, had shaken the Portugal team when they woke up against Spain on the morning of Euro 2025. After that, a 5-0 defeat against the world champions hardly scratches the surface in view of such a loss.
“Today is a sad day,” said Portuguese head coach Francisco Neto. “Losing two lives, so young, of course it’s difficult. We think of the family.” For Neto and for many players in the Portugal team, this also felt personally. Neto had previously worked with Jota when she was responsible for Portugal’s U19S, and they had stayed in contact when he made 49 appearances for Portugal’s senior team and star in the Premier League for Liverpool. Again, Jota followed her results and followed the progress of the Navegadoras.
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“Diogo, when we talked, he always knew the results,” Neto recalled with a smile. Jota’s support for the women’s team was proud of him. “This is the culture we have in Portugal, the culture we build,” he said. In the hours before the kick-off against Spain, almost every Portugal player published a broken heart emoji or a message on Instagram. In striker Jessica Silvas homage to Jota, she called him “one of our own”. At the end of their 5-0 loss, some of the players in Portugal rose behind the distant goal and appeared with a banner. “Thanks for everything Diogo Jota,” it was.
Portugal’s players remember after their opening game of Euro 2025 (Getty Images)
Jessica Silva after Portugal’s defeat against Spain (Getty Images)
There is the possibility that only a few of Portugal’s players had crossed the paths with Jota, but it was clear that his teammates and coaches also spoke the warmth and humility that they also shone through them. “Diogo wasn’t just a star,” continued Silva. “It was the good, the believers, the attention, the simple … of those who don’t need noise to mark their presence! Football has become poorer … and we too. You will never forget.”
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The shock of Jota’s death increases the idea that life, like a match, can be a big tournament and a football career, fragile and fleeting. And the moments when life can feel all the more precious when you want to keep the most important people a little closer. These are the times that football can also bring into a perspective while they bring others together. The story of an emotional night in Bern was the feeling of grief and grief, but there was also the irrepressible sound of the Portugal fans and the way they hit and sang as if they were determined to hug what they had.
It began to remember the brothers in a moving silence, which were only broken by a beautifully solemn applause that dealt with the entire stadium. The Portuguese fans in green and red then sang Jota’s names, with a strip of supporters held up the letters, who put out “calm in peace, Diogo Jota”. Another was: “You took the name Portugal beyond the borders, now it is our turn to increase your name.” You just said: “Eternal Diogo Jota”.
Portugal and Spain observe a minute of silence in memory of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva (Getty Images)
It took less than two minutes for Spain to score a goal when Esther Gonzalez checked a long pass with her shoulder and switched her finish into the net to give the sound for a dominant night. Portugal was continuously the second best for Spain, just as one could assume that many teams will be at Euro 2025.
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The world champions made an impressive, professional opening performance, which was illuminated by Alexia Putellas. Putellas injured three years ago on the eve of the euro and plays as if she wants to compensate for lost time. She scored Spain’s third and was appointed player of the game. Gonzalez scored twice, the 18-year-old Vicky Lopez and Cristina Martin-Prieto found the fifth in the stop time.
Alexia Putellas, Vicky Lopez and Esther Gonzalez all scored in the 5-0 victory (Getty Images).
Francisco Neto and his players were emotional (Getty Images)
They played at a level that Portugal couldn’t keep up. “We couldn’t put pressure on Spain,” said Neto. “We know that this was a very strong team.”
But they didn’t have to deal with what was exposed to Portugal. And yet, when Portugal was long over in the 88th minute and with the hope, his followers kept up scarves and defiantly sang the national anthem. If it looked a bit like a reproduction of “You will never go alone”, there was also a meaning: after all, the news was that Portugal wanted to send.
