Winger Pedro Neto has paid a deeply moving tribute to his close friend and former teammate Diogo Jota as Chelsea progress to the FIFA Club World Cup final.
The deaths of 28-year-old Jota and brother André, 25, shocked the football world. Jota had just enjoyed the most successful period of his life, culminating in a memorable Premier League title triumph with Liverpool and a UEFA Nations League triumph with Portugal.
Only weeks before the tragedy, he married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso with whom he had three children, making the loss all the more heartbreaking.
The Portuguese forward was returning to Liverpool ahead of the 2025–26 season after a family vacation in Spain when a car crash took the brothers lives. Having recently undergone minor surgery, he was advised not to fly and made the journey by car and ferry instead.
Pedro Neto, who played alongside Jota at Wolves and for the Portuguese national team, has been deeply affected by the loss and Chelsea’s journey in this year’s FIFA Club World Cup — held in the United States — has taken place under the shadow of grief.
Before Chelsea’s quarter final match against Palmeiras, in which Neto played 85 minutes and helped his side to a 2-1 victory, the winger made a poignant gesture of remembrance. The 25-year-old stepped onto the pitch with a Chelsea shirt draped over his shoulders with the names “Diogo” and “André” emblazoned on it. As the stadium observed a moment of silence, cameras captured Neto fighting back tears and holding up the shirt together with teammate Enzo Fernández.
Pedro Neto and Chelsea honoured the memory of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva before their Club World Cup quarter-final. ?? pic.twitter.com/SBhXcQrYiH
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 5, 2025
After the match, Neto continued his tribute, sharing an emotional message on Instagram.
“My sweet friend Jota. What a man, what a husband, what a father, what a partner and what a friend.
Your endearing laugh that made us all laugh non-stop. I learned a lot from you and as you often said, ‘There are no fantasies in the world.’
You are great and you will always be and that is how we will remember you forever. We will never forget you, watch over us.”
Despite the overwhelming grief, Neto has found strength to continue competing in the Club World Cup. Speaking ahead of the final to Hayters TV, he admitted the past days have been “really difficult” but expressed his determination to dedicate the final to Jota and André.
“It’s been really difficult in the last few days and I just want to leave a message that this final is for him and his brother. It’s a really tough time for me, difficult to speak about it and let’s hope I can do it for him.
But I want to dedicate this final to him and his family and show my support in these difficult times for them. We are really happy, really happy to reach the final and to get there is unbelievable. We are ready to win the final, play the final and we are determined to win it.”
Chelsea will face Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium, with the chance to crown their own season with a prestigious trophy, and Neto’s commitment to honour Diogo Jota’s memory by helping Chelsea succeed is a moving testament to their bond and the spirit of the game they both loved.
