Martinez says Jota's death has become a source of strength for Portugal's World Cup squad

Roberto Martinez has described how the death of Diogo Jota continues to shape Portugal’s preparations for this summer’s World Cup, saying the former Liverpool forward has become a source of inspiration that gives the squad ‘a strength that goes well beyond tactics’.

Jota was killed in a car crash last summer, and the first anniversary of his passing will fall during the tournament’s knockout stages. Martinez told FourFourTwo that every player has been given the space to grieve in their own way, rather than being pushed toward a collective response.

“It was a tragedy at a human level that’s very difficult to put into words,” Martinez said. “Grief is deeply personal and everyone in the squad has processed it in their own way. We’ve tried above all to give that process the respect and space it needs.”

Jota had been one of Portugal’s most important attacking players and, by Martinez’s account, one of the most driven presences in the dressing room. The Portugal head coach described him as someone who brought total intensity to every training session without exception and who believed in the squad’s potential more than almost anyone he had worked with.

“What I can say is that Diogo has become a real inspiration inside this group,” Martinez added. “His standards, his energy, and his conviction — these are attributes the players want to carry forward, to honour.”

Martinez also spoke about the broader lesson Jota’s memory has left with the group, one he says the players feel genuinely rather than as an abstract sentiment.

“Diogo is always with us. He’s a light that reminds us all to be present every day, to give everything we have, because tomorrow is never guaranteed. That isn’t a cliché — it’s something the players feel genuinely and deeply, and that feeling gives us a strength that goes well beyond tactics.”

Portugal’s squad is preparing for their first major tournament since Jota’s death, and Martinez’s words suggest the grief, rather than being set aside, has been woven into the identity of this group as they head into the competition.