Portugal’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup carried extra emotion on Wednesday as the parents of Diogo Jota watched from the stands in Houston. Isabel and Joaquim Silva were invited by the Portuguese Football Federation to attend the game against DR Congo, nearly a year after the Liverpool forward and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident.
Before kick-off, Jota’s image appeared on the stadium screens during the national anthems. Cameras then showed his parents in the crowd, visibly emotional as Portugal’s players lined up for the start of their World Cup journey. The tribute highlighted how strongly Jota continues to be remembered by his country.
Roberto Martinez names Diogo Jota honorary Portugal squad member
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez made another gesture in Jota’s memory by naming the former Liverpool star an honorary member of the World Cup squad. The team has also been carrying a personal reminder of Jota throughout the tournament.
Every Portugal player is wearing a special wristband that includes Jota’s name alongside their own. The bracelets were given to the squad by Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro during a meeting before the tournament.
Portugal midfielder Vitinha explained how the idea came about.
“Basically, the story of the wristband is, when we went to meet with the prime minister, he offered us this wristband. They made sure that it was a wristband that we could wear on the pitch. It has all the specifics for us to be able to enter the pitch with it, with the name of all the players, plus the special name of Diogo Jota. He let us choose if we wanted to use it or not, how [we use it], during the day or during the match. We received it with a lot of affection, and we chose to use it.”
Joao Neves pays tribute as Cristiano Ronaldo misses funeral remembrance
Portugal took the lead after only six minutes when Joao Neves headed home a cross from Pedro Neto. After scoring, Neves pointed toward the sky in a tribute to Jota.
The former Liverpool forward’s memory has remained close to many of his teammates and friends. Several Portugal players attended his funeral last year. Cristiano Ronaldo did not attend, choosing to stay away because he did not want attention to shift from the service itself.
Jota’s impact was also felt beyond Portugal. Liverpool teammate Andy Robertson previously said he would play at the World Cup for both himself and Jota after sharing the dream of representing their countries at the tournament.
Jota made 123 appearances for Liverpool and scored 47 goals. He helped the club win the Premier League title in the 2024-25 season. Liverpool supporters continued to honor him throughout the following campaign, singing his name in the 20th minute of matches, while the club retired his No. 20 shirt.
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