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Portugal pay tribute to Diogo Jota in Euro 2025 opener with Spain

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Portugal & Spain hold a moment of silence in remembrance of Diogo Jota (1:30)

Portugal and Spain hold a moment of silence for Diogo Jota ahead of their game at the Women's European Championship. (1:30)

Portugal and Spain players observed a period of silence before their Women's European Championship opening game Thursday in memory of Portugal and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota.

Both sets of players also wore black armbands for the match. Players and supporters stayed silent for around 20 seconds before the fans started applauding.

Jota and his brother André Silva were killed in a car crash shortly after midnight in northwestern Spain when the Lamborghini they were travelling in veered off a road and burst into flames, Spanish police said earlier.

Their deaths prompted an outpouring of grief from fans, players and officials across both women's and men's soccer.

"First of all, I would like to take a few moments to pay our respect to Diogo and his brother. We are thinking very much about the family," Portugal coach Francisco Neto said after Portugal's 5-0 loss to world champions Spain.

"Diogo followed our team because he loved the country. I have been assistant coach of under-19 in elite rounds when Diogo was U19 and we meet there. Since there, we keep in contact, when we cross in camps, the men's and women's teams.

"When we talk, he always knows the results, he follows the team, some players. This is the culture we have in Portugal. Everyone likes the success of all the teams. It's a culture we have in our federation. This is what we are as a country.

"Today is a really sad day because two lives have been lost so young and this is not a good day. Of course if we have the possibility to change everything, we would change in a heartbeat."

Some Portugal fans displayed banners in tribute to Jota before the game. " data-player-guid="445f235e-2fc0-ef5d-205b-1d0383bbcd58" diogo="" easy-going="" fellow="" for="" forward="" francisca="" good="" had="" he="" hours="" href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/259780/jessica-silva" in="" instagram="" just="" loyal="" make="" nazareth="" need="" noise="" of="" on="" one="" one.="" ones="" our="" p="" portugal="" rest="" said="" some="" ssica="" star.="" t="" teammate="" thank="" the="" their="" those="" to="" was="" who="" written="" you="">

"Thank you, Diogo. Thank you, André. Football has become poorer ... and so have we. You will never be forgotten."

Speaking to reporters on the way in to the stadium, the president of the Portuguese parliament Jose Aguiar Branco said the country would honour the pair for their contribution to the sport.

"Tomorrow in the Assembly of the Republic, we will vote on the motion of condolence that I will present in order to honour the memory of these two young people and also the legacy that they leave to national sport," he said.

Information from ESPN's Sam Marsden, The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.