Diogo Jota's widow in touching Liverpool tribute ahead of difficult new milestone

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Diogo Jota's widow has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Liverpool forward ahead of the family's first Father's Day without him. On July 3 last year, the football community was shaken to its core when Jota and his brother Andre lost their lives in a car crash in Spain.

Jota had been heading back to Liverpool for pre-season preparations after undergoing minor lung surgery in Porto, Portugal. Although he originally intended to fly to the UK, he chose instead to travel by ferry from Santander, Spain following medical advice.

The devastating incident came only 11 days after the Portuguese footballer wed his long-time partner Rute Cardoso, who is the mother of his three children. He was 28 years old.

On Sunday, Rute, 29, took part in a 10k Father's Day run in Porto. She wore the No. 20 as a tribute to the shirt number Diogo wore for much of his career, including his time at Liverpool.

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She later shared photos from the run on Instagram , where fans quickly filled the comments with messages of support for her and her late husband. "So proud of you," one commenter wrote. "You'll never run alone," another said, while a third added: "Heaven smiles on you."

Rute finished the 10k in 52 minutes and seven seconds. After reaching the finish line, she glanced upward and dedicated her run to the love of her life.

While Father's Day in the UK is observed on June 21, in Portugal it is marked on March 19. This date is one of several emotional milestones the Jota family will continue to face following Diogo's death, including their upcoming wedding anniversary.

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In addition to the race, Rute attended an event on Saturday at the Arena Liga Portugal in Porto, where the Final Stage of Phase 2 of the E-Sports championship was held, featuring a team from FC Porto. This team has a direct connection to Diogo and is now partially overseen by Rute.

Earlier this month, Rute posted a family update from a recent holiday she took with her children to Phuket, Thailand. She shared a picture of them posing in front of an elephant, along with the caption: "Grateful for all the love in Phuket."

The Jota family had previously visited Hong Kong, where Rute was given a moving book of condolences filled with heartfelt messages and hand-drawn tributes to her late husband.

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Last month, Rute also honoured Diogo on Valentine's Day , February 14. She posted a photo of the two of them together, set to the song "If I would have known" by Kyle Hume.

Jota signed for Liverpool from Wolves in a £41million transfer in 2020. Over his time with the club, he made 182 appearances and scored 65 goals.

During his spell at Anfield, he won the Premier League , FA Cup and League Cup, and he was also a two-time Nations League winner with Portugal. After his passing, Liverpool officially retired his No. 20 shirt.