Soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo has posted a heartbreaking tribute to Diogo Jota, the 28-year-old Liverpool player who perished in a fiery wreck alongside his brother.
Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in the crash in Spain on July 3. According to a statement Spanish police gave NBC News, a blown-out tire likely sent their car careening off the road, where it burst into flames, leaving the Lamborghini almost completely obliterated and the brothers dead at the scene.
"In the absence of a conclusion of the experts evidence, everything points that a car left the road, due to a tire blowout while overtaking," the Spanish police said.
Jota was married in late June, which Ronaldo referenced in his post.
"It doesn't make sense," Ronaldo wrote in the tribute, which he posted to his X page. The post racked up 17 million views in just a few hours.
"Just now, we were together in the National Team. Just now you had gotten married," wrote Ronaldo.
"To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in Peace, Diogo and Andre. We will always miss you," Ronaldo continued.
Jota's final Instagram posts captured scenes from his wedding on June 22 to longtime girlfriend Rute Cardoso, who is the mother of his three children.
"A day we will never forget," Jota and his wife wrote in one joint Instagram post that showed the marriage. Another wedding photo on Jota's page showed him with his wife and included their wedding date in the caption. The posts have now filled up with tributes from heartbroken fans.
The Liverpool Football Club released a statement on X that said the team was "devastated" by Jota's death.