Rute Jota marked a bittersweet milestone this week—her daughter’s first birthday—by sharing a touching tribute to the late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota.
It’s been just months since the tragic July car accident that claimed the lives of Diogo and his brother, André Silva, leaving behind Rute and their three young children.
A Gallery of Moments to Hold Onto
On Wednesday, Rute posted a series of 16 photos on Instagram, a warm little window into the life of their youngest child.
Diogo appears in five of them, and each one seems to freeze a moment she clearly wants her daughter to grow up knowing.
The first shot shows the family in a soft, studio-lit moment—both parents dressed in shades of pink, leaning over their baby girl as if nothing else in the world existed.
Another captures Diogo with that familiar easy smile, cuddling his wide-eyed daughter.
There’s also an image of him carrying her out of the hospital in a baby carrier, and another of him holding her at what looks like a café table.
One of the most poignant is the family together at Anfield last season, celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League triumph—a memory that now feels heavier, but no less precious.
A Mother’s Words and a Community’s Response
Rute kept her caption simple: “One whole year,” followed by a heart and star emoji.
No long explanations. No heavy sentences. Just a quiet note that said everything.
Fans quickly filled the comment section. Some sent love, others shared grief.
One message read, “RIP. We miss and love him.”
Another simply said, “Forever,” wrapped in a handful of heart emojis.
Echoes of His Last Public Moments
What makes the tribute even more emotional is the clip that resurfaced shortly after his passing—a video in which Diogo laughed about the joys and nerves of becoming a new dad.
Reportedly filmed during a Liverpool FC initiative with Joie Baby to deliver gifts to newborns at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, the conversation shows him speaking candidly with teammate Joe Gomez and a midwife.
Diogo recalled learning he was going to be a father for the first time back in 2021.
“It was a bit of a shock at first. It was Covid’s fault,” he joked.
Then he softened, describing the birth as something beyond words.
A midwife offered him the chance to cut the cord, but he admitted he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “I’m too sensitive,” he laughed.
When asked what advice he’d give fellow players stepping into fatherhood, he teased, “If he comes to me, I’ll send them to Joe—he’s more experienced!” But he finished on a thoughtful note: “Patience is the key… each day is a new day.”
Love That Outlives Loss
Diogo had married his childhood sweetheart Rute just two weeks before the accident.
They were still riding the glow of that celebration when life shifted so suddenly.
Now, through posts like Wednesday’s tribute, Rute is gently stitching together a story for her children—a story where their father is present, even if only in photographs, memories, and the words he left behind.
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