Cristiano Ronaldo was notably absent from the funeral of Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota, which took place on Saturday morning in Gondomar, near Porto.
Jota, who tragically died in a car crash in Spain alongside his brother André Silva, was laid to rest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar Catholic Church.
Liverpool teammates, Portugal national team members, and former Wolves colleagues gathered to pay their respects. Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson carried floral tributes, while Portuguese stars including Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Ruben Neves were also in attendance. Neves, who played with Jota for both Wolves and Portugal, helped carry the coffin after flying in from the United States where he was participating in the Club World Cup.
Ronaldo, Portugal’s captain, did not attend the funeral. According to Mirror Football, he chose to stay away out of concern that his presence in the small town might draw excessive media attention and distract from the solemn occasion. Ronaldo has been maintaining a low profile in recent days, spending time with his family, but had earlier posted an emotional tribute to Jota on social media following the news of his death.
He wrote: “It doesn’t make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just gotten married.
“To your family, your wife and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.”
Alongside Van Dijk and Robertson were fellow Liverpool stars Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa, and manager Arne Slot. Ex-Liverpool players in Caoimhin Kelleher, Jordan Henderso,n and James Milner were also present.
See the video and photos below;
Cristiano Ronaldo decidió no asistir al funeral de Diogo Jota y su hermano André Silva para no ser un distractor en un momento difícil para la familia de los jugadores.
— Videoteca_gt (@Videoteca_gt) July 5, 2025