Reuben Neves: I Still Send Diogo Jota Messages

Ruben Neves said he still sends WhatsApp messages to his late friend and former teammate Diogo Jota, almost a year after the Liverpool striker died in a fatal car accident.

On SIC’s Alta Definição, the Portuguese midfielder explained that he and Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, maintain a WhatsApp group that contains Jota’s account, which they use to share special moments and keep his memory alive.

“I still talk to him. Few people know this,” Neves said.

“We have a WhatsApp group with Rute and Diogo, and it’s still active. Whenever something special occurs, I archive the conversations on my WhatsApp so I can keep sending him messages.”

Jota died on July 3 2025 at age 28 when the Lamborghini he was traveling in with his brother, Andre Silva, crashed in Spain’s Zamora province after a reported tyre blowout. Both brothers were killed, sending shockwaves through the football world.

Neves, who had played with Jota at FC Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Portugal national team, said the day after learning of his friend’s death was “the most difficult day” of his life.

The emotional revelation follows days after Jota’s widow marked what would have been their wedding anniversary by sharing the speech the former Liverpool forward delivered on their wedding day.

Ahead of the World Cup, Portuguese players received commemorative wristbands that featured Jota’s name.

Midfielder Vitinha said the wristbands, presented to the squad by Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, list every player’s name together with Jota’s as a lasting tribute to the late forward.

“They made sure it was a wristband we could wear on the pitch. It has the names of all the players plus the special name of Diogo Jota,” Vitinha said.

Jota earned 49 caps and scored 14 goals for Portugal before his untimely death, and his teammates say his memory continues to inspire the squad.