Rute Cardoso, the widow of Liverpool star Diogo Jota, has shared the heartbreaking final message she sent her husband: “Keep your eyes on the road.” Her account of the night the footballer died appears in a new biography about his life.
In Diogo Jota: Forever In Our Hearts, Cardoso recalled exchanging messages with Jota soon after he set off for Santander, Spain, alongside his younger brother, Andre Silva.
The brothers were travelling to the Spanish city so Jota could return a rented Lamborghini before boarding a ferry to the UK for pre-season preparations.
After Jota replied to a message she had sent following their departure, Cardoso urged him to stay focused behind the wheel, writing: “Keep your eyes on the road.”
“It was a surprise,” Cardoso said in an extract from the book published by the Liverpool Echo, referring to Jota’s decision to hire a Ferrari and later a Lamborghini during the summer of 2025.
“Unlike most players, who like fancy cars, jewellery and watches, Diogo was never into that sort of thing. He was happy with the cars we had.”
Rute Cardoso has described the devastating night her husband, Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, died in a new biography
Cardoso wrote that her fears grew after Jota and his brother Andre Silva, pictured left, stopped responding to WhatsApp messages and failed to reach their hotel
“Perhaps because he had never been particularly interested in cars, he took the opportunity to drive a Ferrari before our wedding. Afterwards, he rented a Lamborghini, which he needed to return in Santander.”
“A few minutes after they left, I messaged Diogo to say, ‘Safe journey.’ He replied with an emoji, and I told him to keep his eyes on the road.”
Jota and Andre were killed when the Lamborghini Huracan Jota was driving left a motorway in northern Spain.
Jota, 28, was a father of three and had been travelling overland to Liverpool after doctors advised him not to fly following surgery. The crash occurred near Spain’s north-western border with Portugal.
Just 11 days earlier, he had married his childhood sweetheart, Cardoso, in a church ceremony in Porto, Portugal.
Cardoso said her anxiety intensified when several WhatsApp messages sent to Jota remained undelivered.
In her first message, she told Jota she had a video to show him after receiving footage from their wedding day.
A later message to Andre also failed to reach him, deepening her concern.
Cardoso said she asked to see the crash site that claimed the lives of Jota and his brother while travelling to collect his belongings
She called the hotel in Benavente where the brothers had planned to stop for the night, but staff told her they had never arrived. Cardoso then contacted a hospital and local police, yet neither call provided any answers.
She eventually reached out to her uncle Vitor, a lorry driver who had strong contacts within Spain’s transport police.
“Suddenly, my uncle asked me to put Nuno, my brother-in-law, on the phone. At that time of night, in the silence, I could hear every word they were saying. I heard my uncle tell him: ‘The bodies are being taken away.’ I think he added ‘to the mortuary’, but that was when my mind went blank,” Cardoso recalled in the book.
‘Bodies? My brother-in-law froze. My sister took the phone from him and asked my uncle to speak to her. My main concern was to ring Diogo’s father and tell him: “You must come here immediately”. I rang André’s girlfriend and said the same thing: “Paula, come over now”.’
Cardoso revealed in the biography, written by former footballer Jose Manuel Delgado, that the family was visited by two psychologists to offer support.
Her uncle called again and passed Cardoso onto a Spanish police officer, who officially informed her of Jota’s death.
Cardoso added in the family-authorised biography, which will support the LFC Foundation, that she requested to visit the scene of the accident when en route to mortuary to collect Jota and his brother’s belongings.
‘I told the driver I wanted us to take the same route that they had taken,’ Cardoso said. ‘I imagined that, so many hours on, there would be no traces left, but I wanted to know where it had happened. But when we reached that cursed Kilometre 64, what was left of the car was still there.’
Cardoso had attempted to move closer to the scene of the accident but was stopped by a police officer.
Former Liverpool bosses Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot are among those to have contributed to the biography about Jota
A funeral was held for both Jota and Silva two days after their devastating deaths in a chapel in Gondomar, a city that overlooks Porto, where both brothers played during their academy careers.
Following an investigation, a Spanish court ruled earlier this year that the crash was due to the Lamborghini suffering a blown-out tyre while overtaking a car, before bursting into flames upon hitting a barrier in the middle of the carriageway.
The High Court of Justice in the province of Zamora, north-west Spain, has concluded that no criminal action was necessary regarding the deaths of both Jota and Andre, following the review of the entire evidence.
Jota turned out 123 times for Liverpool, scoring 47 goals, and played a significant role in their 2024-25 Premier League title-winning season.
Former Liverpool bosses Arne Slot and Jurgen Klopp are among those to have contributed to the biography, along with former team-mates.
‘This book began as an opportunity to help preserve Diogo’s memory at a moment of profound sadness. My commitment throughout was to tell his story with care, honesty and respect for Diogo, André, and the family and friends who loved them,’ said author Delgado.
‘What moved me most was the generosity of those closest to them. Family members, teammates, coaches and friends shared their memories to help future generations understand the person Diogo was, and their love for both brothers can be felt on every page.
‘While researching the book, I came to understand the unique bond between Diogo and Liverpool FC. Everywhere I went, people spoke not only of his talent, but also his humility, commitment and character.
‘My hope is that Forever in our Hearts serves as a fitting tribute to Diogo’s life and legacy, and ensures his story continues to inspire others for years to come.’
The Anfield faithful continuously paid their respects to Jota last season, singing his name in the 20th minute of every match, while the club also retired his No20 shirt.
A permanent memorial to Jota and Andre was installed at Anfield in July.
