Diogo Jota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Diogo Jota

Jota with Liverpool in 2025
Personal information
Date of birth	(1996-12-04)4 December 1996
Place of birth	Porto, Portugal
Date of death	3 July 2025(2025-07-03) (aged 28)
Place of death	Cernadilla, Spain
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Forward, left winger
Youth career
2005–2013	Gondomar
2013–2015	Paços de Ferreira
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2014–2016	Paços de Ferreira	41	(14)
2016–2018	Atlético Madrid	0	(0)
2016–2017	→ Porto (loan)	27	(8)
2017–2018	→ Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan)	44	(17)
2018–2020	Wolverhampton Wanderers	67	(16)
2020–2025	Liverpool	123	(47)
Total		302	(102)
National team
2014–2015	Portugal U19	9	(5)
2015–2018	Portugal U21	20	(8)
2016	Portugal U23	1	(1)
2019–2025	Portugal	49	(14)
Honours Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA Nations League Winner 2019 Portugal Winner 2025 Germany
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Diogo José Teixeira da Silva (born December 4, 1996 – died July 3, 2025), known as Diogo Jota, was a talented Portuguese footballer. He played as a forward or left winger. Jota was famous for his excellent goal-scoring, quick speed, and amazing dribbling skills.

He began his career at Paços de Ferreira in Portugal. Later, he joined La Liga club Atlético Madrid in Spain. After that, he played for Porto and then Wolverhampton Wanderers. He helped Wolves get promoted to the Premier League. In 2020, he moved to Liverpool, where he won the Premier League title, an FA Cup, and two EFL Cups.

Jota also played for Portugal's national youth teams. He later joined the senior national team in November 2019. He was part of the squads for the 2022 World Cup and two European Championships. He also won the UEFA Nations League twice with Portugal.

Sadly, Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, passed away on July 3, 2025. This news brought great sadness to the football world.

Diogo Jota's Football Journey

Early Days and First Club

Diogo Jota was born in Porto, Portugal. He started playing football at Gondomar when he was nine years old. He stayed there until he was 17. In 2022, Gondomar's youth academy was even named after him.

After being turned down by bigger clubs, Jota joined Paços de Ferreira's youth team in 2013. He joined the main team for the 2014–15 season. He played his first senior game on October 19, 2014, in a cup match. During this time, he had a short break from training due to a heart condition.

Jota first played in the Primeira Liga on February 20, 2015. He scored his first goals in the league on May 17. He scored two goals in a 3–2 win against Académica de Coimbra. This made him the youngest player to score for Paços in the top league.

In May 2015, Jota signed a new five-year contract with Paços. He was even compared to Cristiano Ronaldo by his manager, Jorge Simão. While at Paços, Jota lived in a club dormitory. This helped him focus on football and learn new languages.

Moving to Atlético Madrid and Porto

On March 14, 2016, Jota agreed to join Atlético Madrid in Spain. However, he was quickly loaned back to Portugal. He joined Porto on August 26, 2016. On October 1, Jota scored three goals in a 4–0 win against Nacional. He also scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League on December 7, 2016. This was in a 5–0 win against Leicester City.

Success with Wolverhampton Wanderers

Jota playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018

Helping Wolves Reach the Premier League

On July 25, 2017, Jota moved to EFL Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan. He scored his first goal for them on August 15. It was in a 3–2 win against Hull City. On January 30, 2018, Wolves agreed to sign Jota permanently. The deal was worth about €14 million.

Jota scored 17 league goals in his first year. This was his best goal-scoring season. Wolves won the Championship and were promoted to the Premier League.

Memorable Moments at Wolves

Jota played his first Premier League game on August 11, 2018. He scored his first Premier League goal on December 5, 2018. This helped Wolves beat Chelsea 2–1. On January 19, 2019, Jota scored three goals in a 4–3 win against Leicester City. This was his second career hat-trick. He was only the second Portuguese player to do this in the Premier League.

On March 16, 2019, Jota scored the winning goal against Manchester United. This helped Wolves reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

Last Season with Wolves

On July 25, 2019, Jota scored in a UEFA Europa League match against Crusaders. This was Wolves' first European goal since 1980. He scored another amazing goal, an overhead kick, against Pyunik on August 15.

In a Europa League group game on December 12, 2019, Jota scored three goals in just twelve minutes. This helped Wolves win 4–0 against Beşiktaş. On February 20, he scored another hat-trick against Espanyol. His last game for Wolves was on August 11, 2020. He played 131 games and scored 44 goals for the club.

Joining Liverpool FC

Jota playing for Liverpool in 2021

First Season and Quick Impact

On September 19, 2020, Jota joined Liverpool on a long-term deal. The transfer fee was about £41 million. He played his first game for Liverpool five days later in the EFL Cup. On September 28, he scored in his Premier League debut for the club. This was in a 3–1 win against Arsenal.

Jota scored Liverpool's 10,000th goal in their history against Midtjylland. He also scored three goals in a Champions League match against Atalanta on November 3. He was the first player since Robbie Fowler in 1993 to score 7 goals in his first 10 Liverpool games. Jota was named Liverpool Player of the Month for October. He finished his first season with nine league goals.

Winning Cups and European Final

On August 14, 2021, Jota scored Liverpool's first goal of the 2021–22 Premier League season. This was in a 3–0 win against Norwich City. He scored against rivals Manchester United on October 24. On December 1, he scored in the Merseyside derby against Everton.

In the EFL Cup semi-finals, Jota scored two goals against Arsenal. This sent Liverpool to the final. On February 27, Liverpool won the League Cup. Jota scored his penalty in the shootout. On May 14, he played in the 2022 FA Cup final. Liverpool won this final after a penalty shootout too, with Jota scoring his penalty. He also played in the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final, where Liverpool lost to Real Madrid.

Overcoming Injuries and Scoring Goals

Jota faced some injuries during the 2022–23 season. He missed the start of the season due to a hamstring injury. He returned on September 3. On October 12, he provided three assists in a Champions League match against Rangers. This was a first for him. However, he got another injury on October 16, which kept him out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

He returned to scoring goals on April 17, 2023, with two goals against Leeds United. On April 30, Jota scored a dramatic late winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur.

Another League Cup Win

Jota started the 2023–24 season by scoring against Bournemouth. On September 30, he received a red card against Tottenham. In January 2024, Jota played a key role while Mohamed Salah was away. He scored five goals and assisted two others. This earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award for January.

He suffered a knee injury on February 17, 2024. This kept him out for two months. He returned on April 11, but then got another injury on April 21. This meant he missed the rest of the season.

Final Season and League Title

On August 17, 2024, Jota scored Liverpool's first goal under new manager Arne Slot. This was in a 2–0 win against Ipswich Town. He often played as a "number 9" forward. On October 5, Jota made his 100th start for Liverpool. He scored the only goal in a win against Crystal Palace.

Jota struggled with injuries and form for much of this season. However, he scored the winning goal against Everton on April 2, 2025. This was his last goal in an official match. On April 28, Liverpool won the 2024–25 Premier League title. This was Jota's fourth and final trophy with the club.

Playing for Portugal

Youth Teams and Senior Debut

Jota began playing for Portugal at the under-19 level. He scored his first goal for them on May 29, 2015. He then played for the under-21 team on November 17, 2015. On May 25, 2018, he scored two goals for the under-21s against Italy.

Representing His Country

In March 2019, Jota was called up to the senior Portugal team for the first time. He was part of the squad that won the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals in June 2019. He made his senior debut on November 14, 2019. He came on as a substitute in a 6–0 win against Lithuania. He scored his first international goal on September 5, 2020, in a 4–1 win against Croatia.

Jota was chosen for Portugal's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He scored in a 4–2 loss to Germany. He played in all games until Portugal was knocked out by Belgium. He missed the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to a calf injury.

On September 11, 2023, Jota scored two goals in Portugal's 9–0 win against Luxembourg. This was Portugal's biggest win ever. He was also in the squad for UEFA Euro 2024. In May 2025, Jota was selected for Portugal's 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals squad. He and his team won the tournament against Spain. This was Jota's final match as a footballer.

How Diogo Jota Played

Diogo Jota was a very flexible forward. He could play in many attacking roles. He could be a centre forward, a striker, a winger, or even a false nine. Even though he was mostly right-footed, he was very good with both feet.

Jota was known for his precise finishing and explosive speed. He was also great at dribbling and had excellent control of the ball. His smart movement and high work rate made him very effective. He also helped out a lot with defense.

About Diogo Jota's Life

Jota's real last name was Silva. He chose to use "Jota" to stand out from other players named Diogo and Silva. "Jota" is the Portuguese name for the letter "J". So, it was like calling himself "Diogo J".

Diogo Jota's brother, André Silva, was also a professional footballer. André played for Gondomar and Paços de Ferreira, just like Diogo. At the time of their passing, André was playing for Penafiel.

Jota loved gaming and was very good at it. In February 2021, he was ranked world No. 1 in FIFA 21's Champions Leaderboard. He even had his own eSports team called Luna Galaxy. He often streamed his games on Twitch. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, he won a FIFA tournament organized by the Premier League. He beat his future Liverpool teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold in the final.

Diogo Jota married Rute Cardoso on June 22, 2025. They had three children together.

A Sad Farewell

Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, sadly passed away on July 3, 2025. They were in a car accident in Cernadilla, Spain.

The news of Jota's passing deeply saddened the football world. Many people shared messages of sorrow. Liverpool, his club, said they were "devastated." His former team, Wolves, also expressed their shock. Jürgen Klopp, who signed Jota for Liverpool, said: "Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father! We will miss you so much!" Cristiano Ronaldo, his Portugal teammate, shared his disbelief: "It just doesn't make any sense. Just now we were together in the national team, just now you were married."

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

International Goals

Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Jota goal.

List of international goals scored by Diogo Jota

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	5 September 2020	Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal	3	Croatia	2–0	4–1	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
2	14 October 2020	Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal	7	Sweden	2–0	3–0	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
3					3–0
4	27 March 2021	Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	11	Serbia	1–0	2–2	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
5					2–0
6	30 March 2021	Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg	12	Luxembourg	1–1	3–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
7	19 June 2021	Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany	16	Germany	2–4	2–4	UEFA Euro 2020
8	7 September 2021	Baku Olympic Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	21	Azerbaijan	3–0	3–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
9	24 March 2022	Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal	23	Turkey	2–0	3–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
10	24 September 2022	Fortuna Arena, Prague, Czech Republic	28	Czech Republic	4–0	4–0	2022–23 UEFA Nations League A
11	11 September 2023	Estádio Algarve, Algarve, Portugal	33	Luxembourg	5–0	9–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
12					7–0
13	4 June 2024	Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal	37	Finland	2–0	4–2	Friendly
14	8 June 2024	Estádio Nacional, Oeiras, Portugal	38	Croatia	1–1	1–2	Friendly

Achievements and Awards

Wolverhampton Wanderers

• EFL Championship: 2017–18

Liverpool

• Premier League: 2024–25; runner-up: 2021–22
• FA Cup: 2021–22
• EFL Cup: 2021–22, 2023–24; runner-up: 2024–25
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2021–22

Portugal

• UEFA Nations League: 2018–19, 2024–25

Individual

• Premier League Player of the Month: January 2024
• SJPF Young Player of the Month: October/November 2015
• Primeira Liga Goal of the Month: February 2016
• UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI: 2020