Raul Jimenez Honors Late Friend Diogo Jota in Mexico Gold Cup Victory
Raul Jimenez Honors Late Friend Diogo Jota with Emotional Gesture During Gold Cup Victory
During Mexico’s triumph over the US men’s national team in the Gold Cup final, striker Raul Jimenez paid heartfelt tribute to his former teammate, Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away earlier this week.
Jota, who played an instrumental role in Liverpool’s Premier League championship victory last season, and his younger brother Andre Silva were fatally injured in a car accident near the Portuguese border in northwestern Spain. They were traveling in Jota’s Lamborghini when a tire failure caused the vehicle to veer off the road and catch fire. Despite emergency efforts, both brothers could not be saved.
The football community has mourned deeply, with many players dedicating goals and gestures of remembrance to Jota and his brother. Notably, Jimenez scored in the final and dedicated his goal to his late friends. To honor Jota, Jimenez recreated his former teammate’s signature gaming celebration on the field, sitting on the turf and holding a No 20 jersey with Jota’s name.
Jimenez’s tribute was especially poignant given his history with Jota, having shared two seasons at Wolverhampton Wanderers before Jota transferred to Liverpool in 2020. Jimenez also scored Mexico’s equalizer in this match after the US took an early lead, with Edson Alvarez securing the winning goal for Mexico thirteen minutes before full-time.
The loss has profoundly affected the football world, with fellow players showing their respects. Before a recent match, Portuguese internationals Pedro Neto displayed a shirt honoring Jota and his brother, while Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves were visibly emotional. Additionally, Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar celebrated his late-game winning goal by imitating Jota’s gaming celebration.
Jota had recently married Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children, shortly before his passing. In his final social media post, he expressed his happiness, calling himself “the luckiest man in the world” to be her husband, sharing touching footage from their wedding day.