The bodies of Portugal international, Diogo Jota, and his younger brother Andre, were met with a sombre reception as heartbroken supporters lined the streets outside a church in Gondomar, northern Portugal, on Thursday night.
According to Dailymail, tears streamed down mourners’ faces as hearses transporting the brothers’ coffins arrived just after 11pm at the Capela de Ressurreicao, ahead of an early morning wake.
The two siblings tragically lost their lives in the early hours of Thursday in a car crash near Cernadilla, just across the Spanish border, when the tyre of Jota’s Lamborghini Huracan reportedly burst while overtaking another vehicle.
The supercar veered off the A-52 motorway, rolled multiple times, and burst into flames—killing both brothers on the spot.
Daily mail reports that spanish government official Angel Blanco confirmed that the siblings died at the scene before emergency services could intervene.
The impact of the crash also ignited nearby vegetation, prompting a quick response from firefighters. Authorities say it remains unclear which of the brothers was driving at the time of the accident.
The local parish priest, Jose Macedo, told CNN that the wake would begin at 8am today at the chapel, with their funeral service scheduled for 10am Saturday at the Igreja Matriz, the Catholic church next door.
We’re available to celebrate [their life] with everyone and to share the pain and the Christian hope,” Macedo said.
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, hearses were seen at a funeral home in Puebla de Sanabria, Spain, where the bodies were initially taken.
Jota’s agent, Jorge Mendes, was pictured supporting the bereaved family and escorting the footballer’s mother into the funeral home.
“We lost two great people. Diogo is an example as a person, husband, son, professional. I still can’t believe it. It’s very difficult,” Mendes said tearfully.
The procession to Gondomar, just 30 minutes from Jota’s hometown of Porto, arrived late into the night.
The wake takes place in the same city where, only two weeks ago, the 28-year-old forward married his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, in a ceremony attended by close friends and family.
According to reports, Jota and Andre, 26, were driving towards Santander to catch a ferry to the UK, having opted against air travel due to Jota’s recent lung surgery.
