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By Oscar Okhifo
An outpouring of grief filled the air in Gondomar, Northern Portugal, late Thursday night as the bodies of Portuguese football star Diogo Jota and his younger brother, Andre, arrived in their hometown for burial.
Clusters of mourners gathered in silence and tears outside the Capela de Ressurreição, where a wake will be held ahead of Saturday’s funeral.
Crowds of grieving supporters lined the streets outside the Capela de Ressurreição as hearses carrying the brothers’ coffins pulled in just after 11pm. Many were seen weeping openly, overwhelmed by the tragedy that has shocked both Portugal and the global football community.
The siblings died in the early hours of Thursday in a horrific car crash near Cernadilla, just across the Spanish border.
Reports say the tyre of Jota’s Lamborghini Huracán burst while overtaking another vehicle on the A-52 motorway. The supercar had veered off the road, summersaulted multiple times, and caught fire, killing both men instantly.
Spanish official Angel Blanco confirmed the brothers died at the scene before emergency services arrived.
The crash also ignited nearby vegetation, prompting swift action from firefighters.
Authorities have yet to determine which of the brothers was driving the car.
Speaking to CNN, local parish priest José Macedo said the wake would begin at 8am Friday at the chapel, with a funeral Mass scheduled for 10am on Saturday at the Igreja Matriz, the main Catholic church next door.
“We’re available to celebrate their life with everyone and to share the pain and the Christian hope,” said Rev. Father Macedo.
Earlier in the day, the brothers’ remains were seen at a funeral home in Puebla de Sanabria, Spain, where they were initially taken. Jota’s agent, Jorge Mendes, was pictured consoling family members and escorting the footballer’s mother into the facility.
“We lost two great people. Diogo is an example as a person, husband, son, professional. I still can’t believe it. It’s very difficult,” Mendes said, visibly emotional.
The brothers’ deaths have left a deep void in Portuguese football and among fans worldwide, as tributes continue to flood in for the Liverpool forward and his younger sibling, remembered as beloved sons, teammates, and role models. The grief is deep across the board.