Cristiano Ronaldo may not have been the most influential player on the pitch as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match on Thursday, but he was undoubtedly the most emotional after the final whistle. Ronaldo, who scored the first World Cup knockout goal of his legendary career during the clash, paid a beautiful tribute to his late teammate Diogo Jota after booking Portugal’s spot in the Round of 16. Ronaldo was visibly in tears as he put on a shirt bearing Jota’s No. 21 and pointed towards the heavens, signalling that the dramatic victory over Croatia was dedicated entirely to the former Liverpool forward.
Jota tragically passed away on 3 July 2025 at the age of 28 after he and his 25-year-old brother, André Silva, were involved in a fatal car accident in Cernadilla, Spain. Jota had been travelling by car to catch a ferry to the UK for pre-season training with Liverpool, having been advised against flying by doctors following recent lung surgery.
In another moving gesture, Portugal named Jota in their official FIFA World Cup 2026 squad on a symbolic basis. Portugal manager Roberto Martínez emphasised that Jota’s spirit remains central to the team’s collective ambitions, describing him as the squad’s “light” and reference point. By including him symbolically, the federation ensured his name was entered into the official tournament records, honouring his unrealised dream of winning the World Cup with his country.
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As Portugal sealed their hard-fought win on Thursday, Ronaldo ensured Jota was not forgotten. With tears streaming down his face, the captain stood on the pitch enveloped by his teammates, who surrounded him in a beautiful moment of solidarity to acknowledge the gesture.
Ronaldo wore the jota’s jersey number after win the against dedicating the to him. You can clearly see that the whole team misses Jota.
Jota would forever in our hearts An emotional thing to watch,this what football is all about. pic.twitter.com/rtTLyL2pFL
— Eugene (@UTDEugeneee) July 3, 2026
“We knew it before the game. It was a special moment. We speak today, our group, about that, the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable,” Ronaldo said after his tribute to Jota. “I was amazed because of the situation today. It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game, but also the way we won the game. It was a difficult game, we knew it.”
Ronaldo’s Portugal are next set to square off against Spain in the Round of 16.
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