Ronaldo in tears as Portugal honour Diogo Jota with shirt tribute at World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo was overcome with emotion after Portugal’s World Cup victory over Croatia, holding aloft and then pulling on a shirt bearing the number 21 in tribute to his late team-mate Diogo Jota. The gesture came almost exactly a year after the former Liverpool forward died in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva on 3 July last year.

Jota, who won 49 caps for Portugal, was 28 when he died. His death sent shockwaves through Merseyside and the wider footballing world, with tributes pouring in from across the game at the time.

Ronaldo’s private decision now honoured publicly

Ronaldo faced criticism last year after choosing not to attend Jota’s funeral mass, a decision he said was made because he did not want his presence to create a “circus” around the occasion. A year on, according to the Daily Mail, he chose to mark the anniversary in front of the watching world instead, unveiling the shirt as full time was confirmed at the World Cup.

Speaking afterwards, Ronaldo reflected on the significance of the timing, telling reporters: “We knew it before the game. It was such a special moment. We speak today, our group, about that, the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable.”

He added: “I was amazed because of the situation of today. It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game, but also the way we won the game. It was a difficult game, we knew it.”

A tough contest settled on a poignant night

The Daily Mail reports that Portugal’s players had been aware of the anniversary before kick-off, adding extra weight to a fixture already billed as a difficult test against Croatia. The scenes at the final whistle, with Ronaldo in tears clutching Jota’s number, underlined how much the Liverpool forward’s memory still means to his former international team-mates.

Portugal’s head coach, Roberto Martinez, has been building his squad’s World Cup campaign around a group that has clearly carried Jota’s memory with them throughout the tournament. The tribute in Croatia is the most visible sign yet of how deeply his death continues to resonate within the national set-up.

Jota’s legacy at Liverpool and beyond

Jota’s death last summer prompted an outpouring of grief from Liverpool supporters and players alike, with the forward remembered as a key figure in the club’s recent successes. His international career, spanning 49 appearances for Portugal, is now being honoured on the biggest stage in world football.

For Ronaldo, still competing at the World Cup a year after losing his team-mate, the moment offered a rare and public display of grief from a player usually associated with steely composure on the pitch. As Portugal continue their tournament, the memory of Diogo Jota looks set to remain close to the surface for a squad determined to honour him with results as well as gestures.