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The members of the Portugal national team will wear a special wristbands at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the memory of former teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in 2025. Portugal start their campaign against DR Congo.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal acknowledges fans after a training session ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.(AFP)The Portugal footballers will wear a special wristband during the FIFA World Cup 2026 as a heart-touching tribute to former teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident last year in Spain, along with his brother. The development was confirmed during press conference by defender Vitinha.
Led by talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal will begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in a relatively easy opponent in DR Congo on June 17 at the Houston Stadium in Texas. The special commemorative wristbands were provided to the players by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro just before their departure to the United States for the greatest show on the earth.
Based on a Reuters report, the wristbands feature names of all the players in the Portugal squad announced by head coach Roberto Martínez. Alongside the names, it also features a special name in Diogo Jota.
"Basically, the story of the wristband is, when we went to meet with the Prime Minister, he offered us this wristband," Vitinha told reporters. "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 names of all the players plus the special name of Diogo Jota.
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"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,” added the Paris Saint-Germain star.
What happened to Diogo Jota ?
The incident took place on the wee hours of July 3 in 2025. Along with his brother Andre Silva, Jota was travelling in a Lamborghini Urus SUV. The car suffered a tyre blowout while trying to overtake another car on the A-52 highway, which is near the Cernadilla town in Zamora, just 15 kilometres from the Pirtugal border.
As a result of the blowout, the car overturned off the road and immediately caught fire. By the time firefighters reached the crash site, the vehicle was completely burned out. Jota and his brother were identifed through the identification papers.
Jota was just 28 years old at the time of his death and was enjoying some of the best moments of his career. He had won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal and the English Premier League with Liverpool. To add more to that, the incident happened just barely one month after his marriage.
For Portugal, Jota played 49 matches and scored 14 goals. The loss still haunts the football lovers.
About the Author
Koushik Paul
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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