Diogo Jota's widow, Rute Cardoso, shared the Liverpool legend's wedding speech to commemorate what would have been their first anniversary. Jota tragically died in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva on July 3, 2025, less than two weeks after marrying his childhood sweetheart on June 22, 2025.
Wedding Speech Shared on Social Media
Exactly one year after their wedding day, Rute posted a video of her husband's moving speech on social media. In the footage, Jota said: "Where the future takes us, maybe there's someone here who knows better than I do. But the truth is, I don't know and it doesn't really matter to me as long as I'm with you. I love you forever, my 'Branquinha'."
The couple had been together for more than a decade and had three children at the time of their wedding. They celebrated the joyous occasion surrounded by friends and family, but just 11 days later, the Portuguese star was killed in Zamora, Spain.
Portugal Squad Keeps Jota's Memory Alive
As the first anniversary of his death approaches, Jota's legacy endures. His Portugal teammates are competing in the 2026 World Cup, where they are wearing commemorative wristbands featuring the names of all 26 squad members alongside Jota's. The wristbands were presented by Portugal's Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro.
Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal midfielder Vitinha explained: "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."
Tributes from Teammates
Portugal drew their opening match 1-1 against DR Congo, with Joao Neves' goal canceled out by Yoane Wissa's header. They face Uzbekistan in their second group game. Before the match, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes spoke about Jota's lasting impact: "Everyone has spoken about him. It will always be good words about him. He was a great teammate, very down to earth and a great person for the country. He's still part of our group - and always will be. So will his brother be, too. He will also be in our memories."
