Diogo Jota WhatsApp group still used today – 'I talk to him'

Diogo Jota WhatsApp group still used today – 'I talk to him' Diogo Jota tragically died in a car crash in July 2025, and almost a year on, former team-mate Ruben Neves has opened up on how he still messages the late Liverpool icon in a WhatsApp group Ruben Neves has revealed that he continues to send Diogo Jota messages, nearly a year after the Liverpool icon's devastating death. Jota tragically lost his life aged 28 on July 3, 2025, when his Lamborghini was involved in a crash in the Spanish province of Zamora. Reports at the time described how Jota was travelling in the vehicle with his brother, Andre Silva, when a tyre blew out - causing the car to come off the road. Both men sadly perished, leaving family, team-mates and the wider football community heartbroken. A funeral was held in Jota and Silva's hometown of Gondomar, Portugal, with several of his former colleagues attending to pay their respects. Now, almost a year on, Neves - who lined up alongside Jota at Porto and Wolves between 2016 and 2020, as well as for the Portuguese national side - has opened up about how he copes with his grief. Speaking on SIC's Alta Definição, the 29 year old said: "I still talk to him. Few people know this. "We have a WhatsApp group with Rute (Jota's widow) and Diogo, and it's still there, and we continue to talk there. Whenever something special happens, I have the conversations archived on my WhatsApp so I can continue to send him messages." Neves also described the day after he learned of Jota's death as "the most difficult day," of his life. This comes after Jota's widow, Rute Cardoso, marked their wedding anniversary last week by sharing the speech he delivered on their wedding day. The pair tied the knot on June 22 last year, just over a week before Jota's passing, having been in a relationship for over a decade and bringing three children into the world. And on their anniversary, Rute posted Jota's moving speech to her on Instagram. Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now! The Reds icon said in the footage: "Where the future takes us, maybe there's someone here who knows better than I do. But the truth is, I don't know and it doesn't really matter to me as long as I'm with you. I love you forever, my 'Branquinha.'" It comes as Portugal honour their departed team-mate at this summer's World Cup in North America, with the anniversary of his passing drawing near. Roberto Martinez's side are wearing commemorative wristbands at the competition, which features every name in the 26-man party alongside Jota's. The wristbands were carefully presented to the Portugal squad by the country's Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, before the tournament. Speaking ahead of Portugal's 1-1 draw with the DR Congo, PSG midfielder Vitinha explained the poignant gesture. He said: "Basically, the story of the wristband is, when we went to meet with the Prime Minister, he offered us this wristband. They made sure that it was a wristband that we could wear on the pitch. It has all the specifics for us to be able to enter the pitch with it, with the name of all the players plus the special name of Diogo Jota. "He let us choose if we wanted to use it or not, how (we use it), during the day or during the match. We received it with a lot of affection and we chose to use it." Following their commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan earlier this week, Portugal now turn their attention to Colombia in their concluding Group K encounter, as they aim to advance to the knockout rounds of world football's premier competition. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer's FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code DEAL.