▲ A banner honoring Diogo Jota
The Portugal national football team (ranked 5th in the world) will take the field at the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup wearing bracelets to honor the late Diogo Jota, who passed away in a traffic accident last year.
Reuters reported today (June 14) that the Portuguese national team will wear the memorial bracelets during their Group K opening match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, scheduled for June 18 at Houston Stadium in Texas, USA.
The bracelets were a gift to the team from Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and are engraved with the names of all the players and Jota.
Jota, who died in a sudden traffic accident in Spain last July, was a key forward for the Portuguese national team, scoring 14 goals in 49 international matches.
His former club, Liverpool FC of the English Premier League (EPL), has retired the number 20 jersey that Jota wore.
Jota made 182 official appearances for Liverpool, scoring 65 goals, and contributed to their victories in the 2022 FA Cup and League Cup, as well as the 2024 League Cup.
He also played a role in helping Liverpool secure their 20th league title during the 2024-2025 season.
Portugal will pursue its first-ever World Cup title while wearing these bracelets in memory of Jota.
Portuguese midfielder Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) told Reuters, "The Prime Minister gave us the bracelets and left it up to the players whether to wear them," adding, "We received them with great meaning and decided to wear them together."
He continued, "I don't want to say that we are favorites to win. However, I believe we are a team with the skill and potential to go far in this tournament," and added, "The important thing is to play our game properly with a humble attitude."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.