Rute Cardoso Marks One-Year Wedding Anniversary with Emotional Tribute
Rute Cardoso, the wife of late Liverpool star Diogo Jota, marked the couple's one-year wedding anniversary on Monday by sharing a video of his heartfelt wedding speech. Jota tragically died in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva on July 3, 2025, just 11 days after their wedding on June 22, 2025.
The couple had been together for over a decade and shared three children at the time of their nuptials. In the footage posted on Instagram, Jota is heard saying: "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’."
Portugal's World Cup Tribute to Diogo Jota
As the first anniversary of his death approaches, Jota's memory continues to be honoured by his Portugal teammates at the 2026 World Cup. The squad, managed by Roberto Martinez, is wearing commemorative wristbands during the tournament that feature the name of every player in the 26-man squad, plus Jota's name.
The wristbands were presented to the team by Portugal's Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro. Speaking before Portugal's 1-1 opening match against DR Congo, midfielder Vitinha explained: "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."
Jota's Legacy Lives On
Jota, who was 28 at the time of his death, joined Liverpool in 2020 and became a fan favourite, scoring 41 goals in 98 appearances for the club. His sudden passing shocked the football world, and tributes have continued to pour in from fans, teammates, and clubs worldwide.
