Rute Cardoso shares Diogo Jota's wedding speech on their first anniversary

Rute Cardoso marked what would have been her first wedding anniversary with Diogo Jota on June 22 by sharing a video of the Liverpool forward’s wedding speech on social media — a moving tribute to the man she lost less than two weeks after they married.

Jota, who died alongside his brother André Silva in a car crash in Zamora, Spain, on July 3, 2025, wed Rute — his childhood sweetheart and the mother of his three children — surrounded by friends and family. In the footage she shared, he can be heard saying: “Where the future takes us, maybe there’s someone here who knows better than I do. But the truth is, I don’t know and it doesn’t really matter to me as long as I’m with you. I love you forever, my ‘Branquinha’.”

The couple had been together for more than a decade before their wedding day, and the depth of that bond is clear in the words Jota chose to speak in front of those closest to them.

The first anniversary of his death is also approaching, and his Portugal team-mates have been keeping his memory alive at the 2026 World Cup. Roberto Martínez’s squad are wearing commemorative wristbands throughout the tournament bearing the names of all 26 players in the squad, alongside Jota’s. The wristbands were presented to the Portugal squad by the country’s Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha explained the significance of the gesture ahead of Portugal’s opening match. “It has all the specifics for us to be able to enter the pitch with it, with the name of all the players plus the special name of Diogo Jota,” he said. “We received it with a lot of affection and we chose to use it.”

Portugal drew that opener 1-1 against DR Congo, with João Neves’ goal cancelled out by Yoane Wissa’s header on the stroke of half-time. Martínez’s side face Uzbekistan in their second group game on Tuesday.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes also spoke about Jota’s lasting presence within the squad before the tournament began. “He was a great team-mate, very down to earth and a great person for the country,” Fernandes said. “He’s still part of our group — and always will be. So will his brother be, too. He will also be in our memories.”