🕯️ 10 MINUTES AGO: Tragedy Strikes Again for Diogo Jota’s Wife and Three Children — Just Hours After His Body Arrived Home

In what many are now calling a “cruel chain of heartbreak,” the young family of late footballer Diogo Jota has been struck by yet another emotional collapse, just hours after his body was brought home to Porto ahead of a private family funeral.

According to close family sources, Rute Cardoso, Jota’s wife of just ten days, collapsed at the family’s private viewing as the coffin was opened for close relatives. The couple’s three children — Dinis (4), Duarte (2), and their 6-month-old daughter — were reportedly present during the incident.

“It was a moment no one will ever forget,” said a family member present at the scene. “Rute fell to her knees and let out a scream so deep, it made the entire room freeze.”

💔 “Too heartbreaking to believe” — the moment that shattered Rute

Sources close to the family describe Rute as having been mentally and physically exhausted since the moment she received the news of Diogo’s tragic car crash on July 2nd. The young widow had refused to sleep or eat properly, spending hours looking at wedding photos and rewatching the reel she posted just hours before the accident.

A nurse from Santa Maria Hospital, where Rute was later rushed for emergency care, said:

“She was severely dehydrated, emotionally unresponsive. All she kept whispering was, ‘He promised he’d come back.’”

🕊️ From wedding bells to funeral hymns — all in 10 days

The love story of Diogo and Rute has become the subject of widespread mourning across Portugal. High school sweethearts from Porto, they had been together since 2012 and finally tied the knot on June 22, 2025, in a beautiful yet private ceremony attended by only 40 close friends and family.

Photos from their wedding — now viral across social media — show Jota kissing his bride’s forehead as she laughs in her elegant white gown, holding their daughter in one hand and son in the other.

Just 10 days later, Jota’s life was cut short in a fatal crash on the A‑52 highway in Spain, where he was traveling with his younger brother. Both died at the scene.

🧸 “Where is Daddy?” — the most painful question

Perhaps the most heart-wrenching detail came from one of Rute’s cousins, who recounted how little Dinis, the eldest son, kept asking, “Where is Daddy?” during the private wake. Despite Rute’s best efforts to stay strong, it was this question that finally broke her.

“She tried to smile. She tried to say Daddy was ‘sleeping’. But when Dinis ran up to the coffin, she just collapsed,” said the cousin, who asked not to be named.

🏥 Hospital confirms breakdown, family asks for privacy

Doctors at Santa Maria confirmed Rute had suffered a psychosomatic collapse, likely brought on by prolonged trauma, dehydration, and emotional overload. She has been placed under temporary sedation and is receiving care from trauma psychologists.

The Cardoso and Jota families have asked the media and public to respect their privacy, stating:

“We have lost not just a husband, father, and son — but now fear losing the woman he loved most.”

💬 The football world responds: “This is more than tragedy”

Across the football community, tributes and messages of support continue to pour in.

• Cristiano Ronaldo posted a black-and-white photo of Jota and Rute on his story with the caption: “May she find strength. May their children always know their father was a hero.”
• Jürgen Klopp, Jota’s former coach at Liverpool, commented: “I’ve seen players fall. But this? This is something no family should ever face.”

🔮 What’s next for the Jota family?

A public memorial is scheduled to take place this Sunday at Estádio do Dragão, with thousands expected to attend. Meanwhile, Portuguese authorities have confirmed a special trust fund will be created in Jota’s honor to support his three children.

As for Rute, her friends say she continues to fight, if not for herself — then for the three little ones Diogo left behind.

“She’s broken,” said a friend. “But she’s their mother. And she knows Diogo would want her to keep going.”

🕯️ This is a story of love, loss, and unbearable pain. And yet, somewhere in the silence, echoes the voice of a man who once said: “I play for them.”