One year on from the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, the key details of the crash are still the same: Jota was travelling in a Lamborghini Huracan on the A-52, roughly 70 miles west of Valladolid, when the vehicle left the road at approximately 12:40am and burst into flames. The Civil Guard says the crash is being investigated as a blowout, while Jota was travelling by road after lung surgery and advice not to fly.

What police said about the crash

Rui Laura, the CNN Portugal reporter speaking to mirror.co.uk, said: "The surgery he had had was lung surgery, and he had been advised against flying following this. He was on his way to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to cross the ferry and reach the UK that way, and carry on with the car once he reached Britain. He was on his way to Liverpool with his brother."

The Civil Guard's view was blunt enough. "We believe the car suffered a blowout from the marks on the road," it said. "We confirm that no other vehicle was involved and no one else was hurt."

That leaves the picture as police have described it: a single-car crash, a suspected tyre failure, and a journey shaped by medical advice after lung surgery.

Portugal's tribute has stayed visible

The football side has not disappeared either. Portugal have worn wristbands throughout their World Cup campaign in tribute to Jota, and Roberto Martinez has described him as "our light" and a reference point for the squad.

Jota's last Liverpool season still showed his value on the pitch. He made 37 appearances in 2024/25, scored 9 goals and added 4 assists. Those numbers do not change what happened on the A-52, but they do explain why the loss still sits so heavily around Liverpool and Portugal.

The investigation remains centred on the circumstances of the journey and the blowout police believe caused the crash. The tribute, meanwhile, is still there every time Portugal wear the wristbands, and every time Martinez speaks about the player he called their light.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →