Grief swept through Portugal on Friday as dozens gathered to honour the memory of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, following their tragic deaths in a car accident in Spain.
The 28-year-old footballer and his brother, Silva, aged 25, died on Thursday when their vehicle veered off a motorway in northwestern Spain and caught fire. The incident occurred just days after Jota had married.
A wake was held at a chapel in Gondomar, a suburb of Porto and Jota's hometown, ahead of the funeral set for 10 am on Saturday. Immediate family, including his parents and elderly grandfather-who needed assistance to walk-were among the first to pay their respects.
Mourners, some in tears, arrived carrying floral wreaths before the chapel was opened to the public. High-profile figures, including Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, football agent Jorge Mendes, and Porto club president Andre Villas-Boas, were also present to pay tribute.
"Football is in mourning," said Pedro Proenca, president of the Portuguese Football Federation. "Diogo was a shining symbol of the talent our country produces."