MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother died in a car crash in northwestern Spain on Thursday, police said, weeks after the Portugal star got married, sparking a flood of tributes.

The Civil Guard said a vehicle veered off a motorway and burst into flames shortly after midnight in the municipality of Cernadilla in Zamora province, confirming the deaths of Jota, 28, and his brother Andre.

“Everything points to the blowout of a tyre while it (the vehicle) was overtaking,” the Civil Guard said in a statement, adding that the corpses had been taken to a morgue.

Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca wrote on social media that he was “devastated”, calling Jota “an extraordinary person, respected by all his colleagues and opponents, someone blessed with an infectious joy and a reference for his own community”.

“We have lost two champions. The death of Diogo and Andre Silva are irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything possible to honour their legacy every day,” Proenca added.

He said they had asked UEFA for a minute’s silence before Portugal’s Women’s Euro 2025 match against Spain in Switzerland on Thursday.

Liverpool said it was “devastated” by the “unimaginable loss” and that it would make no further comment for the privacy of the brothers’ family, friends, teammates and club staff.

“We will continue to provide them with our full support,” Liverpool added in a statement.

Liverpool fans had already begun laying flowers, scarves and other tributes at the club’s Anfield stadium, British media reported.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro described Jota as “an athlete who greatly honoured Portugal’s name”, expressing his condolences on “a sad day for football and for national and international sports”.

“FC Porto is in mourning. It is with shock and deep sorrow that we send our heartfelt condolences” to the family and friends of Jota and his brother, the Portuguese giants said in a statement.

Atletico Madrid also released a message expressing the La Liga club’s shock at the deaths and offered their condolences.

“They say we only lose people when we forget them. I will never forget you!”, Jota’s international teammate Ruben Neves posted in an Instagram story.

Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, posting a video of their wedding on Instagram just hours before the accident.

They had three children.

The former Atletico Madrid, Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers star scored nine goals in all competitions last season as Liverpool cruised to their 20th Premier League title.

Capped 49 times by Portugal, Jota moved to England in 2017 joining Wolves.

His impressive form earned a £45 million (US$62 million) move to Liverpool three years later where he quickly became a fans’ favourite thanks to his goalscoring prowess.

Jota scored 65 times for the Reds in his five seasons at the club and lifted the League Cup and FA Cup in the 2021/22 season.

His brother Andre played as a midfielder for FC Penafiel in Portugal’s second tier.