Why Liverpool Star Diogo Jota and his Brother Andre Silva had Different Surnames?

The entire football community is mourning the sudden demise of Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, killed in a car crash in Spain on July 3, 2025. Having occurred only days after Jota's wedding, the catastrophe has left everyone shaken.

Riding with his 25-year-old brother André Silva in his Lamborghini at approximately 12:30 AM local time, Diogo Jota, 28, swerved off the A-52 motorway near Zamora in northwest Spain. The car caught fire after the crash; both brothers were pronounced dead at the scene.

Spanish authorities confirmed the accident included no other vehicles. After being told not to fly following a recent lung operation, Portuguese media suggested he was heading for Santander to catch a ferry to England; the terrible event occurred as Diogo Jota was apparently going back to Liverpool for pre-season exercises.

Jota, father to three children, wed his long-term partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, 2025, just days before passing away.

The Silva Brothers: A Family United by Football

Though having the same last name as his illustrious brother, André Silva was a professional footballer on his own, playing as an attacking midfielder for FC Penafiel in Portugal's second tier.

Born in Gondomar, Portugal, on April 28, 2000, André followed in his brother's footsteps through the Portuguese football program. Beginning his professional path at Gondomar SC in 2008, the younger Silva brother progressed from the FC Porto youth academy to the under-17 level.

He later moved to Paços de Ferreira, where his brother Diogo had also played, then spent time with Famalicão and Boavista's under-23 teams. Having joined Penafiel in July 2023, André was growing to be a key factor in the second division of Portugal.

Although he never attained the international level of his brother, André Silva was appreciated for his work ethic and was considered a possible prospect for the Portuguese national football team. Diogo regularly shared photos of André on social media during their trips and family gatherings; the brothers shared a close bond.

Why Diogo Jota Changed His Name From Silva

The backstory behind Diogo Jota's name change provides a pragmatic answer to a frequent issue in Portuguese football. Born Diogo José Teixeira da Silva on December 4, 1996, in Porto, Portugal, the Liverpool star elected to use "Jota" as his playing moniker to differentiate himself from other athletes with comparable names.

Silva is among the most prevalent surnames in Portugal; in his early career, several players named Diogo or Silva were in various academies. The young footballer started using "Diogo J" on his shirt to avoid misunderstanding, borrowing the "J" from his middle name, José.

The moniker comes from how the letter "J" is said in Portuguese: "jota" (with a hard J sound, unlike the Spanish pronunciation). Portuguese publication Expresso said in 2016: "It didn't take long for colleagues to start calling for a certain Diogo Jota. After all, that's what they read every time the youngster started toward the area, and his back was the only thing they could see".

During his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he first had to wear "Silva" on his jersey because EFL Championship rules called for players to use their legal surnames, the name change became official. When Wolves were promoted to the Premier League in 2018, though, he was able to go back to "Diogo J" on his shirt, and the moniker "Jota" lasted across his career.

This sensible choice turned out to be wise as Jota would later join the Portugal national team to play with many other Silva-named players, including Bernardo Silva, André Silva (the RB Leipzig striker), and Rafa Silva. His brother André retained the family name Silva, which might have confused other players named André Silva in Portuguese football.

Expressing the country's sorrow at their deaths, the Portuguese Football Federation declared: “The Portuguese Football Federation and the whole Portuguese football community are quite saddened by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva.”

The football world continues to mourn the loss of two talented brothers whose lives were cut tragically short.