Cristiano Ronaldo “cried a lot” when he learned of the untimely deaths of Portugal international team-mate Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, but did not want to cause an unnecessary distraction by attending their funeral.
The football world came together in morning on July 3 when Jota, 28, and his brother Silva, 26, tragically passed away in a car crash in Spain. Ronaldo was one of countless players to honour the two individuals with an emotional message once the news had broken.
The 40-year-old, who lifted the Nations League alongside Jota earlier this year, reflected on the tragedy in Part 2 of his sit down interview with Piers Morgan.
“I didn’t believe [it], when they sent me the message. I cried a lot. It was very, very difficult moments for everyone, for the country, for family, for friends, for teammates. Very, very, very sad news,” Ronaldo said.
“It was a shock moment. We still feel the aura there in the national team when you put the shirt [on] because Diogo was one of us.”
Portugal paid tribute to their No. 21 ahead of their 1–0 victory over Ireland on Saturday, Oct. 11. The 2026 World Cup qualifier was the first home match for the national team since Jota’s death, and it was his best friend Rúben Neves who scored the winner while wearing 21 on his back.
Ronaldo remembered the Liverpool star as a “very good guy, a quiet guy,” whose passing reiterated the need to “be happy to be here and live the moments, enjoy the life.”
Ronaldo Reveals Reason Behind Not Attending Jota’s Funeral
While many of Jota’s club and country teammates attended his intimate funeral in Portugal, Ronaldo did not. The Al Nassr forward was heavily criticised for not paying his respects in person, but he revealed he had his own personal reasons for not attending and “had the opportunity to speak with [Jota’s] family” after learning of what happened.
“One of the things I don’t do is after my father died, I have never been in a cemetery again,” Ronaldo said. “Second... wherever I go is a circus. I [didn’t go] also because if I go, the attention goes [from Jota] to me, and I don’t want that kind of attention.”
Despite the backlash Ronaldo received, he admits he “felt good” with his decision.
“I don’t need to be in the first land so people see me [and] speak good because, ‘Oh, Cristiano’s coming.’ No. I’m thinking about his family. I don’t need to be in the cameras for the people to see what I do.”
Ronaldo finished off the discussion by reiterating that he acted “behind the scenes” out of respect to Jota and his family.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cristiano Ronaldo Reflects on Diogo Jota’s Death, Reveals Reason for Missing Funeral.
