Liverpool vs Wolves: Rute Cardoso Opens Up Following Heartfelt Tributes to Diogo Jota
Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers paid heartfelt tributes to their former star, Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a car accident in July 2025, during their Premier League clash over the weekend. Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, has now shared her gratitude.
Jota, who joined Liverpool from Wolves in the summer of 2020, lost his life alongside his brother, Andre Silva, while traveling back to England from a holiday in Zamora, Spain. Since his passing, the football community has united to honor the talented Gondomar academy graduate. Liverpool even retired the No.20 shirt in his memory, and tributes continued during Wolves’ Premier League visit to Anfield. In the first meeting between his two English clubs since his death, Jota’s young sons, Dinis and Duarte, served as mascots, and both sets of fans offered applause for the Portuguese forward, who had also played for Atletico Madrid and FC Porto.
The night before the match, Wolves players laid floral tributes outside Anfield, honoring the former Old Gold star who scored 44 goals and contributed 19 assists across 131 appearances at Molineux. During the game, Wolves supporters sang for Jota in the 18th minute, receiving applause from Liverpool fans, with the home supporters returning the tribute in the 20th minute.
Jota’s wife, who married him just weeks before his death, expressed her thanks on X (formerly Twitter) for the touching tributes. She wrote:
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the club and all the fans for the love, respect, and support during this incredibly difficult time. Your messages and gestures mean more than words can express.”
The couple had been together since their youth, having first met in 2013. They married on June 22, 2025, and share three children: two sons and a daughter born in 2024. To mark their one-month wedding anniversary, Cardoso shared a carousel of wedding photos, writing: “1 month [since we said], ‘Until death do us part’. Forever, [your] bride.”
On the pitch, Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz scored in quick succession (41st and 42nd minutes) to give Liverpool a lead over the struggling Premier League side, before Santiago Bueno’s goal shortly after halftime served as consolation. “It was difficult but also special in a way,” said Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
Slot praised the fans’ collective tributes: “The football world showed how to behave in moments like this. Our fans have been incredible since the tragedy. Today, the away fans showed it isn’t only our supporters who make this league special. In the 18th minute, Wolves fans sang for Diogo and our fans clapped; in the 20th, it was reversed. English fans proved once again how remarkable they are.”