Diogo Jota’s former teammate pays poignant tribute by replicating much-loved celebration
A former teammate of Diogo Jota has paid a poignant tribute to the Liverpool forward over the weekend.
The world of football has united in mourning for the Portugal international and his brother Andre Silva, who were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The two men were laid to rest at a funeral service in their hometown near Porto, which was attended by Arne Slot’s squad, and Kylian Mbappe dedicated his goal in Real Madrid’s win over Borussia Dortmund in the Club World Cup to the victims of the tragic incident.
A former teammate of Jota has also paid tribute to Liverpool’s number 20 in the seconds after scoring on his most recent appearance.
Diogo Goncalves pays Jota tribute by replicating trademark celebration
Diogo Goncalves played alongside the former Wolves and LFC forward for the Portugal under-21 team, and he was on target for Real Salt Lake in their Major League Soccer victory against St Louis overnight.
The 28-year-old then replicated Jota’s goal celebration from the Reds’ 4-3 win over Spurs in April 2023 as he sat cross-legged and mimicked the use of a video game controller, with the Anfield icon having been an avid gamer.
That action was also performed by Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele and Australian rules footballer Jesse Motlop after scoring in their respective on-field appearances over the weekend.
Jota’s impact transcended the world of football
Such tributes will be warmly appreciated by everyone close to Diogo Jota and his family, with Goncalves’ commemoration particularly poignant given that he knew him personally from their Portugal under-21 days.
That the gesture has been performed across multiple continents and sports is a testament to the global impact that the Liverpool forward made, one which has transcended football and even the sporting world.
Oasis paid an emotional tribute on the opening night of their UK and Ireland tour in Cardiff on Friday by displaying an image of the player during their performance of ‘Live Forever’.
Amid the unimaginable grief of the family and friends of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, we’re sure they’ll also be touched by the myriad gestures of support and solidarity which have been made in honour of the two men and reflect the lasting impression that they had on people’s lives throughout the world.
You can see Goncalves’ goal and his subsequent celebration below, via @MLS on X:
Diogo Gonçalves with a remarkable finish for @RealSaltLake and then pays tribute to the late Diogo Jota pic.twitter.com/aw1B85hsJz
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 6, 2025
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