Shock and dismay as world reacts to the death of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva

Tributes continue to pour in from several corners of the world today (July 3) following the shocking death of Portuguese star footballer Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva in a car accident in Spain.

The devastating news came this morning after Spanish authorities confirmed that the siblings had been involved in a fatal accident on the A52 motorway in Cernadilla, Zamora, Spain.

It did not take long before dozens of footballers took to social media to post their tributes to Diogo, who played for Liverpool and Portugal’s national team, and André, who played for Portugal’s second-division club Penafiel – including Portugal’s world-famous footballing phenomenon Cristiano Ronaldo.

“It doesn’t make sense. Just now we were together with the national team, just now you had 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’ll always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you,” CR7 wrote on his social media pages.

NBA basketball icon LeBron James has also lamented the tragic news.

“My prayers goes (sic) out to his loved ones during this time! May you all be guided and protected! YNWA JOTA!!,” wrote the 40-year-old player, who has been a Liverpool minority shareholder since 2011.

Even the British Royal Family has reacted to the tragic news.

“As part of the footballing family, I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Diogo Jota and his brother. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who knew him,” Prince William wrote on X.

Dozens of other footballers have also posted their tributes to Jota, from Pepe to Bruno Fernandes.

Diogo Jota played for Liverpool, a club he had represented for five seasons and for which he won the English League, the FA Cup and two League Cups, as well as winning the Championship, the second tier of English football, with Wolverhampton.

After training at Gondomar and Paços de Ferreira, the striker spent a season on loan at FC Porto from Atlético de Madrid, before being transferred by the Spanish club to Wolverhampton, where he spent three seasons.

As part of the Portuguese national team, Diogo Jota, who recently married the mother of his three children, has made 49 international appearances, scored 14 goals and won two editions of the Nations League, the most recent in June this year.