Diogo Jota’s widow Rute Cardoso marks painful first Father’s Day with emotional Porto run months after Spain crash (Image via Getty)
Diogo Jota’s name still brings a heavy feeling for football fans, and now his family is facing another emotional moment. His wife, Rute Cardoso, shared a quiet but powerful tribute as they approach their first Father’s Day without him.
Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in Spain on July 3 last year, a loss that shocked the football world. He was only 28. Just days before that, he had married Rute, his long-time partner and the mother of his three children.Now, months later, Rute is trying to stay strong while keeping his memory alive. Instead of big words, she chose a simple act that said everything. Her tribute came not through a speech, but through action, showing how deeply she still carries him in her life.
Rute Cardoso runs 10k in Porto wearing Diogo Jota’s No. 20 to mark first Father’s Day without him
On Sunday, Rute Cardoso took part in a 10-kilometre Father’s Day run in Porto, Portugal. She wore the number 20, the same shirt number Diogo Jota wore during his time at Liverpool. It was a small detail, but it meant a lot.She finished the race in 52 minutes and seven seconds. After crossing the line, she looked up at the sky, a quiet moment that showed who she was thinking about. Later, she shared pictures from the run on Instagram.
Fans quickly reacted with messages full of support. One wrote, “So proud of you.” Another said, “You’ll never run alone.” A third added, “Heaven smiles on you.”This Father’s Day is different for the family. In Portugal, it is marked on March 19, not June like in the UK. It is one of many tough dates the family now faces, including their wedding anniversary, which comes with both love and pain.Rute has been slowly stepping into new roles as well. She attended an event at Arena Liga Portugal in Porto, where an e-sports competition took place.
The team involved has links to Diogo Jota, and she is now helping oversee parts of it.Earlier this month, she shared photos from a trip to Phuket, Thailand, with her children. In the caption, she wrote, “Grateful for all the love in Phuket.” Before that, the family had visited Hong Kong, where she received a book filled with messages and drawings in memory of Diogo.On Valentine’s Day, February 14, she posted a photo of them together with the song “If I Would Have Known” by Kyle Hume. These small moments show how she continues to remember him in her daily life.Diogo Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 for £41 million. He played 182 matches and scored 65 goals for the club. But for his family, he is remembered for much more than football.
