Bernardo Silva Recalls Moment He Learned of Diogo Jota's Death

In an interview with The Athletic, Manchester City's Bernardo Silva opened up about his long tenure at the club and the profound impact of Diogo Jota's death, which he described as "very difficult to accept." He recounted the moment he received the news in July 2025, while competing in the Club World Cup in the United States.

"Diogo was a great friend of mine," Bernardo shared. "I was returning from the Club World Cup, and when I landed, I heard the news. It was so hard to accept — not just Diogo, but his brother [André Silva] too. I was friends with the family. It's just difficult," the midfielder admitted.

Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva tragically died in a car accident in Spain on July 3, 2025. Just two days prior, Manchester City had been knocked out of the Club World Cup Round of 16 by Al Hilal, in a 3-4 defeat. Bernardo Silva even scored in that match; on the opposing side, João Cancelo and Rúben Neves featured.

Ten months later, the loss is still deeply felt. "I remember him every day, especially when I'm with the National Team," he explained, stating that this sentiment is shared by the entire squad, who are now driven to win the 2026 World Cup in his honor.

"In all the moments we spent together with the National Team — lunches, dinners, playing billiards, playing cards — he's always in our thoughts. It's hard to play cards and not see him, because he was always there laughing with us. With the World Cup, we want to win it for the Portuguese people. We also want to keep Diogo's memory very much alive. Whenever we're together, we will definitely remember him," he concluded.