As the FIFA World Cup match between Portugal and Croatia concluded on Thursday night at Toronto Stadium, there were tears from all sides for many different reasons.
Portuguese fans were crying tears of joy after seeing their side advance to the Round of 16 after a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Croatian fans were crying tears of sadness and anger after a controversial VAR call took away a game-tying goal late in stoppage time, leading to chaos on the field.
And the Portuguese players themselves were crying tears of grief, remembering late teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident on July 3, 2025, at the age of 28.
Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, were driving in the Zamora province of northwestern Spain when their Lamborghini suffered a tire blowout, causing the vehicle to veer off the road, crash and burst into flames. Both men died on the scene.
With the match coming a day before the tragic anniversary, emotions were high for the Portugal team, who had named Jota as an honorary member of the squad ahead of the tournament.
How did Portugal pay tribute to Diogo Jota?
After the match, as players gathered on the field, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo immediately put on Diogo Jota’s No. 21 Portugal jersey.
The 41-year-old captain then stood in the middle of the pitch, looked up and pointed directly to the sky in honour of his late teammate.
Ronaldo kept the jersey on as he walked the pitch, applauding to Portugal supporters in the stands, while also embracing teammates and eventually posing with the entire group of players, coaching and training staff while holding up the red jersey.
What did Cristiano Ronaldo say?
“It’s a special day for what you all know, for the special Jota who’s up there lighting our way,” Ronaldo said after being named man of the match, still wearing Jota’s jersey.
“It’s a special moment. We all felt his presence with us and today’s victory would have been meaningless if it weren’t for honouring him in the best way possible.”
During the post-match press conferences, game-winning goal-scorer Goncalo Ramos spoke about how much Jota still means to this team today.
“Every day it’s special because we talk about him every day,” Ramos said. “He gives us strength and it’s, it’s very special to win today, and to reach one of the most important phase of this competition.”
What other tributes have there been?
Prior to the match, Portuguese fans in Toronto also paid tribute to Jota, displaying his jersey during a march towards the stadium for the match.
Throughout the season, fans of Jota’s club Liverpool have paid tribute to the Premier League-winning star, standing and applauding during the 20th minute of each home match.
Several of his former teammates on the Reds also have paid tribute by performing his signature celebration after scoring goals over the past year.
The club also announced shortly after his death that Jota’s No. 20 would be retired by the club as a way to honour his contributions to the team and community over his five years at Liverpool.