Diogo Jota’s Final Moments: Tunnel Footage Reveals Mysterious Jersey at Estádio do Dragão
The football world remains in shock following the tragic deaths of Liverpool FC star Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva in a car crash on Spain’s A-52 highway on July 3, 2025. As investigations deepen, a new piece of evidence has surfaced: tunnel footage from the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal, purportedly capturing the last known image of Jota alive. The footage, recorded hours before the fatal crash, shows Jota walking into the stadium’s tunnel, but in a surprising twist, he is wearing a jersey different from his usual Liverpool or Portugal kit. This anomaly, combined with other mysterious details surrounding Jota’s final days—such as a rapid phone battery drain, stolen lucky boots, and a rejected €52 million transfer offer—has intensified speculation about the circumstances of his death. This article explores the tunnel footage, its implications, and the broader context of Jota’s tragic end.
The Tunnel Footage
The Estádio do Dragão, home of FC Porto, where Jota played on loan during the 2016-17 season, is a place of deep significance for the Portuguese forward. According to reports circulating on social media and verified by Portuguese outlet A Bola, tunnel footage from the stadium’s security cameras captured Jota entering the facility at approximately 6:00 p.m. on July 2, 2025, roughly six hours before the fatal crash. The grainy footage shows a man identified as Jota, wearing a football jersey that is neither his Liverpool number 20 nor his Portugal national team kit. Instead, the jersey is described as “unfamiliar,” with some sources speculating it could be an FC Porto kit from his time at the club, while others suggest it might belong to a different team entirely, possibly linked to his youth career or a personal collection.
The footage has not been publicly released, as Portuguese authorities are treating it as part of the ongoing investigation into Jota’s death. However, still images leaked online show a figure resembling Jota, with his distinctive posture and build, walking alone in the tunnel. The jersey’s design—reportedly featuring a darker color scheme and unfamiliar sponsor logos—has sparked debate among fans and investigators. Jota’s presence at the Estádio do Dragão, a stadium he had not played in competitively since 2017, raises questions about why he was there and what significance the jersey might hold. Some speculate he may have been visiting for a personal reason, such as meeting with FC Porto president André Villas-Boas, who had reportedly been discussing Jota’s potential return to the club.
Context of Jota’s Final Days
The tunnel footage adds to a series of perplexing events in the days leading up to Jota’s death. On June 30, 2025, his “lucky boots”—custom Nike Mercurials from Liverpool’s 2024-25 Premier League-winning season—were stolen from his Porto villa, with CCTV capturing a man in a Wolverhampton Wanderers jersey near the property at 2:13 a.m. On July 1, Jota rejected a €52 million transfer offer from an unnamed club, reportedly crying after the call due to the emotional weight of choosing loyalty to Liverpool over financial security. Club insiders noted his deep attachment to the club, where he scored 65 goals in 182 appearances and won the Premier League, FA Cup, and two League Cups.
The crash itself, which occurred around 12:30 a.m. on July 3, 2025, near Cernadilla, Spain, involved a tyre blowout on Jota’s green Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder, causing it to veer off the A-52 highway and burst into flames. Spanish Guardia Civil initially suggested Jota was driving and possibly speeding, but two lorry drivers disputed this, claiming the car was traveling at a “moderate speed” and that the road’s poor condition was a factor. Forensic analysis revealed Jota’s phone battery dropped from 56% to 0% in 19 seconds post-crash, prompting speculation of signal interference. Other anomalies include a mysterious 11cm metallic shard near the wreckage, 36,000 deleted messages recovered from Jota’s phone (including 12 from a contact labeled “Don’t Answer”), and a car tailing the Lamborghini for 18.6 kilometers before vanishing.
The Significance of the Jersey
The jersey Jota wore in the tunnel footage has become a focal point of intrigue. Jota’s history with FC Porto, where he scored eight goals in 27 appearances during his 2016-17 loan, makes it plausible he was wearing a Porto kit as a nod to his past. A Bola reported that FC Porto had placed Jota’s image on the stadium’s giant screen with a Porto jersey on July 3, 2025, as part of a tribute, suggesting a strong connection to the club. However, the “different jersey” description has led to alternative theories. Some fans speculate it could be a Gondomar SC kit, from the club where Jota played as a youth, or even a Penafiel kit, in honor of his brother André, who played for the Portuguese second-tier club. Others wonder if it was a jersey from a rival club, possibly tied to the transfer offer he rejected, though this remains unconfirmed.
The jersey’s significance may also be personal rather than professional. Jota was known for his superstitions, as evidenced by his attachment to his lucky boots. The decision to wear an unfamiliar jersey could reflect a sentimental act, perhaps related to his recent wedding to Rute Cardoso on June 22, 2025, or a visit to the stadium to reconnect with his roots before returning to Liverpool for pre-season training. The timing of his visit—hours before embarking on a drive to Santander due to medical advice against flying post-lung surgery—suggests he may have been seeking closure or inspiration.
The Funeral and Rute Cardoso’s Reaction
The tunnel footage gained added poignancy following Jota’s funeral on July 5, 2025, at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, where Rute Cardoso left the service after 11 minutes, unable to hear a letter addressed to her read by the priest. The letter’s contents remain undisclosed, but its emotional impact was evident, with Cardoso, clutching her husband’s coffin, exiting in distress. The funeral, attended by Liverpool stars like Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, as well as Portugal teammates like Bruno Fernandes, was marked by tributes to Jota’s humility and talent. The Bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda, addressed Jota’s three children—Dinis, Duarte, and Mafalda—who were absent, emphasizing the community’s grief. The revelation of the tunnel footage has reportedly deepened Cardoso’s anguish, with sources suggesting she views it as another layer of mystery surrounding her husband’s final hours.
Investigative Implications
The tunnel footage has been incorporated into the ongoing investigation by Portuguese and Spanish authorities. While the crash is still officially attributed to a tyre blowout, the jersey, combined with the phone battery anomaly, stolen boots, and other irregularities, has fueled speculation of foul play. The man in the Wolves jersey linked to the boot theft, the car tailing Jota’s Lamborghini, and the deleted messages (including those from “Don’t Answer”) suggest a possible pattern of targeted actions. However, experts caution that the jersey could be unrelated, potentially a personal choice by Jota, and the phone battery drain might result from crash-related damage rather than interference. The metallic shard and steering input anomalies remain under scrutiny, with no conclusive link to the footage.
The Estádio do Dragão visit itself is puzzling. Jota had no scheduled engagements with FC Porto, though André Villas-Boas’s comments about “working on Jota’s return” suggest informal discussions may have occurred. The stadium’s security team is reportedly reviewing additional footage to determine if Jota met anyone or left behind any clues. The jersey’s identity could provide insight into his state of mind or intentions, but without public release of the footage, speculation persists.
The Football Community’s Response
The tunnel footage has amplified the football world’s grief. Liverpool retired Jota’s number 20 shirt and committed to paying out his £17 million contract to support his family. Tributes at Anfield, including flowers, scarves, and a banner reading “Diogo lives forever,” reflect his impact. FC Porto’s tribute at the Estádio do Dragão, with flags at half-mast and Jota’s image displayed, underscores his legacy in Portugal. Fans have flooded social media with reactions to the footage, with some calling for its release to clarify the jersey’s significance, while others urge respect for the family’s privacy.
Conclusion
The tunnel footage from the Estádio do Dragão, capturing Diogo Jota in an unfamiliar jersey hours before his death, is a haunting addition to an already complex tragedy. Whether the jersey reflects a personal tribute, a nod to his past, or a clue to a larger mystery, it underscores the enigma of Jota’s final moments. As investigations continue, the football world mourns a player whose talent, humility, and love for the game touched millions. For Rute Cardoso and their children, the footage is another painful reminder of unanswered questions, as they navigate the loss of a husband, father, and hero.
