Portugal are carrying Diogo Jota into Thursday evening's World Cup match in Toronto, where a place in the last 16 is on the line. The campaign has become a tribute as much as a tournament run, with Roberto Martinez and Ruben Neves both putting Jota at the center of the group’s motivation.
Neves said the bond has not stopped. "I still talk to him," he said in an interview with Portuguese TV show Alta Definicao, adding, "We have a WhatsApp group with Rute and Diogo, and it's still there, and we continue to talk there." He also said, "Whenever something special happens, I have the conversations archived on my WhatsApp so I can continue to send him messages."
Ruben Neves keeps the messages
That detail gives the tribute shape. Neves is wearing Jota's number 21 national shirt at the World Cup, turning a squad number into a visible reminder of the player Portugal have lost. For a team in a knockout match, the memory is not separate from the task; it sits inside it.
Martinez named Jota as an honorary plus-one player when he announced his squad in May, and he has already said, "Diogo is our sun and our light," about the forward. Jota helped Portugal win the Nations League in 2025, and he followed that by posting, "With you by our side, everything is possible. Thank you, Portugal!" after Portugal beat Spain to win the Nations League in Stuttgart.
Portugal's World Cup tribute
Jota scored 14 times in 49 appearances for Portugal before his death in a car accident in Spain while he was a Liverpool player. He was 28, and he died 11 days after marrying Rute Cardoso. Andre Silva was also killed in the accident on 3 July 2025, after Jota was returning to Liverpool for pre-season when the car left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle and doctors had advised him against flying after minor surgery.
Jota's path through the game ran from Gondomar to Pacos de Ferreira, then to Porto, Wolverhampton and Liverpool. That journey now sits behind Portugal's run in Toronto, where fans have also flooded in for the match. The emotional lift is obvious, but the football remains immediate: Croatia stands between Portugal and the last 16.
Portugal want to win the World Cup for Jota, and the match in Toronto is where that promise is being tested. The tribute is already in place through Neves, Martinez and the shirt number; the next step is whether the performance matches the message.
Croatia in Toronto
Portugal need both parts at once. They must handle a knockout game and carry a memory that has become part of the squad's identity, with Neves still sending messages through archived WhatsApp conversations and Martinez openly tying the campaign to Jota's name.
