Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva died in a car accident in Spain early Thursday morning, striking heartbreak throughout the soccer world. The 28-year-old Liverpool winger had just married his childhood sweetheart and mother of their three children Rute Cardoso just a couple weeks before. Silva played for Penafiel in Liga Portugal 2, in only his second year of senior level soccer.
Jota’s on-field legacy grew exponentially over the last decade. The Portuguese international broke onto the scene with Porto in 2016, spurring a move to Wolves where he played an integral part of the club’s Premier League resurgence. For the last five years he served as a major part of Liverpool’s and Portugal’s success, winning two UEFA Nations League Trophy and becoming a Premier League champion.
His off-field legacy will be one of consistent, quality character. Respect and condolences poured in from around the world, showing just how impactful his life and death were.
Mass tributes are already taking place at Anfield, from both the fans and the club.
The BBC has more details for those interested, but I think this moment brings an opportunity to reflect on the modern game and the culture it feeds.
It’s not a novel idea that death often brings people together. The same can be said about sport, though in a less morbid way. Soccer is unique in this aspect, as it has such a wide reach and such a deep impact for so many. Two goals, a field, and a ball can transcend nearly any cultural barrier and bring people from all walks of life together.
Liverpool is a perfect example. As one of the biggest clubs in England, the Reds have amassed a global fanbase that can stack up against any other around the world.
The digital age has laid the groundwork for soccer fans around the world to connect, but also fostered cruelty. It’s an unfortunate truth that too many online fans send unfettered criticism directly to players, and the suits of the game are veering further and further into commodification at the expense of passion.
But this is a moment for the foundational good of the soccer community to come through. All of the parts of the game that made fans fall into passionate love with the game can transcend the negative.
This game is so deeply embedded into its most devout fans because of how integrated it is into so many cultures. The game’s communal accessibility to all socioeconomic classes (in most countries, for now) makes it a common ground for respect through far more differences than potentially otherwise.
This upcoming season, between commercials for sports betting companies and stories about Saudi investments into teams/tournaments/associations, there will be constant tributes.
Analysts and commentators will pay thoughtfully-written respects. Broadcast will show highlights and tell his story. The Kop will sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and Jota’s song as loud as it ever has. It will be these moments that facilitate true love and compassion throughout the soccer community.
On the field it’s a game, moving and chasing a ball around. But it’s found its way into such a core part of so many human experiences that people create genuine connections through its mere mention. And in some cases, it can give way to greater, simpler levels of respect between people, something that can often feel missing when cruelty rears its head.
It’s through that shared respect and admiration that two people from opposite sides of the earth can share a true connection.
Jota represented the game so well on and off the pitch, the game that’s so integral to so many lives, that his death is as deeply mourned in Merseyside as it is in Porto.
It’s a devastating loss, and maybe there are healthier ways to work through such an oddly emotional event. But soccer can serve as one of the few channels the world provides where so many people can feel together. It unlocks an internal openness a lot of us may wish we had otherwise, a perspective we could use a lot more of in a lot more places.
We can only hope that it gets there. In the meantime, at least we have soccer to help us feel through it all.
