The tragic demise of Liverpool striker Diogo Jota has prompted an outpouring of tributes from footballers all over the world, with many copying his well-known gaming celebration to honour his reminiscence.
Jota, 28, and his youthful brother André Silva, 25, died in a automotive accident in Spain on Thursday, 3 July. Authorities imagine a tyre blew on their car, inflicting it to go away the street and catch fireplace.
The devastating information shocked the soccer world, however gamers have discovered a touching option to keep in mind the Portuguese ahead.
Jota’s iconic gamer celebration
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Jota’s trademark celebration concerned sitting cross-legged on the pitch, pretending to play video video games with an invisible controller.
This FIFA-inspired gesture went viral in 2021 and have become his signature transfer. Now, gamers throughout completely different leagues and even sports activities are recreating it as a mark of respect.
Soccer tributes worldwide
Raúl Jiménez
Mexican striker Raúl Jiménez led the tributes in the course of the Concacaf Gold Cup remaining towards the USA on Sunday.
After scoring the equaliser, Jiménez not solely carried out Jota’s gaming celebration but in addition laid out a jersey with Jota’s title and quantity in entrance of him, a very poignant gesture from his former Wolverhampton Wanderers teammate.
READ ALSO: How Diogo Jota’s Lamborghini looked after deadly accident (Exclusive Video)
Kwame Opoku
Asante Kotoko participant Kwame Opoku additionally devoted his match-winning objective towards Hearts of Oak to Jota. The potent ahead netted the second objective because the Porcupine Warriors got here from behind to win the 2025 President’s Cup 2-1.
To rejoice his objective, Opoku copied Jota’s iconic gaming celebration together with his teammates.
Diogo Gonçalves
Portuguese footballer Diogo Gonçalves, who performs for Actual Salt Lake in Major League Soccer, carried out the tribute after scoring towards St. Louis Metropolis on Sunday.
The gesture was particularly significant as Gonçalves and Jota had performed youth soccer collectively and each represented Portugal at under-21 stage. After the celebration, he pointed to the sky.
Ousmane Dembélé
Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé copied the celebration after scoring within the Club World Cup quarter-final towards Bayern Munich on Saturday.
His former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé additionally paid tribute by making the numbers two and nil together with his fingers, representing Jota’s Liverpool shirt quantity.
READ ALSO: Just married, now gone: Diogo Jota’s incredible life story
Past males’s soccer
Hany Mukhtar
German MLS participant Hany Mukhtar led his whole Nashville SC crew in performing the celebration on Sunday. This got here after he scored a dramatic last-minute penalty winner whereas his crew was all the way down to 10 males, making the tribute much more emotionally charged.
Rinsola Babajide
The tributes weren’t restricted to males’s soccer. Nigeria’s Rinsola Babajide recreated Jota’s iconic celebration in the course of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after scoring her first match objective in a 3-0 victory towards Tunisia.
Extra tributes for Jota
Tokmac Nguen
Norwegian footballer Tokmac Nguen confirmed his respect by doing the celebration after scoring his first objective in a hat-trick for Swedish aspect Djurgårdens IF on Sunday.
MUST READ: How Liverpool players returned to training after Diogo Jota’s death
The impression of Jota’s demise has reached past soccer. Australian guidelines soccer participant Jesse Motlop copied the celebration after scoring for Carlton Soccer Membership within the Australian Soccer League, exhibiting how the Liverpool striker’s affect prolonged throughout completely different sports activities.
These heartfelt tributes display the respect and affection Jota commanded all through the sporting world, guaranteeing his reminiscence lives on by means of the celebration that made him well-known.
