Ruben Neves Reveals He Still Messages Diogo Jota Nearly One Year After Liverpool Star’s Death

Nearly a year after the tragic death of Diogo Jota, former teammate Ruben Neves has shared an emotional insight into how he continues to honor the memory of his close friend. Speaking openly about the loss, Neves revealed that he still sends messages to Jota through a WhatsApp group that remains active, describing it as a personal way of keeping his bond with the late footballer alive.

Jota died on July 3, 2025, at the age of 28 after a fatal car accident in Spain. The Liverpool and Portugal forward was traveling through the province of Zamora alongside his younger brother, Andre Silva, when the vehicle they were in reportedly suffered a tire failure. According to reports released at the time, the Lamborghini left the roadway following the blowout, resulting in a crash that claimed the lives of both brothers.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the football world. Supporters, teammates, coaches, and clubs across Europe paid tribute to Jota, whose career had seen him become one of Portugal’s most respected attacking players. His passing also devastated those who knew him personally, including Ruben Neves, who spent several years playing alongside him for both club and country.

The pair first became teammates during their time at FC Porto before later reuniting at Wolverhampton Wanderers after both moved to English football. Between 2016 and 2020, they developed not only a successful partnership on the pitch but also a close friendship away from football. They continued representing Portugal together on the international stage, strengthening a relationship that extended well beyond the game itself.

Now, almost twelve months after the accident, Neves has explained that he still feels connected to Jota through an unusual but deeply meaningful routine.

During an interview with Portuguese television program Alta Definição on SIC, the midfielder disclosed that he continues communicating with Jota through a WhatsApp group that includes Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso.

According to Neves, very few people were aware that the group had never been deleted following Jota’s death.

Instead, its members chose to leave it intact.

Whenever an important moment occurs in his life or career, Neves says he opens the archived conversation and writes a new message addressed to his late friend.

He admitted that this ritual has become one of the ways he copes with grief, allowing him to feel as though his conversations with Jota have never completely ended.

Neves explained that he intentionally keeps the conversation archived within the messaging application so that he can continue returning to it whenever he feels the need to share something significant.

Although Jota is no longer physically present, Neves suggested that writing these messages provides him with comfort during moments that would once have been celebrated together.

The Portuguese international also reflected on the immense emotional impact of learning about Jota’s death.

He described the day after receiving the news as the hardest day of his life, emphasizing the profound effect the tragedy had on him personally.

For Neves, the loss extended far beyond football.

It meant saying goodbye to someone he considered one of his closest friends.

The anniversary of Jota’s passing has also brought renewed emotion for his family.

Only days earlier, his widow, Rute Cardoso, marked what would have been the couple’s first wedding anniversary by sharing a deeply personal memory on social media.

The couple had married on June 22, 2025, just over a week before the fatal accident.

Their wedding came after more than ten years together and the birth of their three children.

To commemorate the anniversary, Cardoso posted a video containing part of Jota’s wedding speech.

In the emotional recording, Jota spoke about their future together, acknowledging that nobody could predict what lay ahead but saying that uncertainty did not matter as long as they remained together.

He expressed his love for his wife and affectionately referred to her by a personal nickname, words that have since resonated with supporters across the football world.

The speech quickly spread online, with many describing it as a heartbreaking reminder of the life the couple had planned before tragedy struck.

As Portugal compete in this summer’s FIFA World Cup in North America, the national team has also found meaningful ways to remember their former teammate.

Players have been wearing specially designed commemorative wristbands throughout the tournament as a tribute to Jota.

The bands feature the names of every member of Portugal’s 26-man squad while also including Jota’s name as a permanent symbol of his place within the national team family.

The commemorative wristbands were presented to the squad before the tournament by Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro during a meeting with the players.

Midfielder Vitinha later explained the significance of the gesture while speaking to reporters before Portugal’s group-stage match against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He said the Prime Minister offered the wristbands as a tribute and ensured they complied with FIFA regulations, allowing players to wear them during official matches.

According to Vitinha, every member of the squad was given the choice of whether or not to wear the wristband.

The players ultimately decided together that they wanted to use them throughout the tournament as a collective show of remembrance for their former teammate.

He explained that the squad accepted the gesture with great appreciation and viewed it as an opportunity to keep Jota’s memory close during one of football’s biggest competitions.

For many members of Portugal’s national team, the tribute carries personal significance.

Several players shared dressing rooms, training camps, and countless matches alongside Jota over many years.

His influence extended beyond goals and performances, leaving a lasting impression on teammates who continue to speak warmly about his personality, professionalism, and friendship.

Nearly a year after the tragedy, those closest to him continue finding personal ways to remember him.

For Ruben Neves, that remembrance comes through a simple messaging application that still contains conversations with one of his closest friends.

While the messages may never receive a reply, the tradition reflects the enduring connection he feels with Jota and the difficulty of letting go after such an unexpected loss.

As the football community approaches the first anniversary of Diogo Jota’s passing, tributes from family, teammates, supporters, and former colleagues continue to demonstrate the lasting impact he had both on and off the pitch.

For those who knew him best, his absence remains deeply felt, but his memory continues to live on through shared stories, quiet moments of reflection, and heartfelt gestures that ensure he is never forgotten.