The town of Gondomar, Portugal, was filled with football players and officials for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, but in the absence of the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese star has a close relationship with Jota and was among the first to offer his condolences at his death, expressing his deepest sorrow and regret for the loss of his Portugal teammate. He was expected to lead the funeral procession on the outskirts of Porto.
According to the Mirror, Cristiano Ronaldo decided not to attend Jota’s funeral due to fears that it would disrupt the mourning atmosphere in the town. The Al-Nassr star did not want his presence to overshadow the farewells to his teammate and brother, so he decided to stay away from the event.
Several football stars attended the funeral, including Liverpool players Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson. Ruben Neves also attended from the United States after his participation in the 2025 Club World Cup, carrying the coffin and crying.
Alongside Ronaldo, several other famous names were absent from the funeral, most notably Liverpool’s second-choice captain, Mohamed Salah. It has not been revealed why the Egyptian did not go to Portugal, given that he cut short his vacation and returned to England immediately upon learning of the news.
It should be noted that Liverpool’s management has decided to retire the number 20 shirt in memory of Jota. They have also decided to continue paying the player’s salary for the next two years to his family.
