World Cup diary: One year on, Portugal remember Jota with tears, triumph

Diogo Jota, the Portugal star who died in a tragic car accident exactly a year ago today, loomed large as Cristiano Ronaldo & Co produced a spirited fightback to hold off Croatia and reach the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Jota, who played for Liverpool, earned 49 caps for Portugal and scored 14 goals.

Ronaldo, who equalised for Portugal with a penalty, donned Jota's No. 21 Portugal jersey after the final whistle and, with tears in his eyes, pointed to the sky as he gathered with his teammates. "We knew it before the game, so it was a special moment," the talismanic captain told Fox. "We spoke today, as a group, about the coincidence of life. It's unbelievable."

"I was amazed because what happened today means a lot to us—not only because we won the game, but also because of the way we won," he added to Portugal's Sport TV. "We know he is with us, and it only made sense to win today to honour him in the best way."

As the teams lined up and Portugal's national anthem played over the PA system, Jota's picture appeared on the giant screen in Toronto, drawing a loud cheer from the supporters. Speaking before the match, manager Roberto Martinez said the team wanted to win the trophy in Jota's memory. Their path, however, gets tougher, with an in-form Spain awaiting them in the Round of 16.

"Diogo is our sun and our light," said Roberto Martinez, who named Jota as an honorary "plus-one" player when announcing his squad in May. "We want to win the World Cup for him."

Time has not fully healed the pain of losing the 28-year-old for some of his teammates. "I still talk to him," said Ruben Neves of Jota, his close friend and former teammate at Porto, Wolves and Portugal, ahead of the match. "We have a WhatsApp group with Rute (Jota's wife) and Diogo, and it's still there. We continue to talk there," he told a Portuguese television channel.

Gonçalo Ramos, who scored Portugal's stoppage-time winner, said: "Every day is special because we talk about Diogo every day," Ramos told reporters. "He gives us strength, and it's very special to have won today and reached one of the most important stages of this competition."

Jota was travelling back to Liverpool for pre-season when the Lamborghini he was in veered off the road after a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle. He was making the journey to England by car and ferry after doctors advised him against flying following minor surgery. The forward had celebrated winning the Premier League just two months earlier and had married his longtime partner, Rute, only 11 days before the tragedy.