FIFA WC 2026: Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal’s emotional tribute to Diogo Jota after Croatia win

Portugal advanced to the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 with a 2-1 victory over Croatia, as Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates paid an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota on the first anniversary of the former Portugal forward's death.

Toronto: Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. paid an emotional tribute to former teammate Diogo Jota after Portugal’s 2-1 World Cup win over Croatia in Toronto on Friday, a day that marked exactly one year since Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident in western Spain.

Ronaldo, who scored Portugal’s opening goal of the round-of-32 matchup with a penalty, put on Jota’s No. 21 Portugal jersey following the final whistle and pointed to the sky with tears in his eyes.

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“We knew it before the game, it was such a special moment,” Ronaldo told Fox. “We speak today, our group, about the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable. I was amazed because the situation of today means a lot to us, not only because we won the game but also the way.”

Speaking to Portugal’s Sport TV, Ronaldo said, “We know he is present with us and it only made sense to win today to honour him in the best way.”

Jota, who played 49 times for Portugal, scoring 14 goals, tragically passed away last year on July 3 after he and his 25-year-old brother, Silva, were involved in a fatal car accident.

A month after Jota’s death, Portugal chose to honour him by transferring his No. 21 national team jersey to his close friend and former teammate Ruben Neves.

Jota was part of the team that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and again in 2025, when Portugal beat Spain in the final. Just a few weeks before his death he celebrated that success with his teammates. His brother Silva, who was also a professional footballer with Portuguese second-tier club Penafiel.

The Spanish police said that Jota’s car went off the road while trying to overtake another vehicle. The car had a tyre blowout and caught fire. Both Jota and his brother Andre died at the scene.