Portugal handed Jota's number "21" jersey to close friend Neves

Diogo Jota's number "21" jersey in the Portuguese national team will be inherited by the late forward's long-time friend and teammate Ruben Neves, head coach Robert Martinez announced on Friday, UNN reports with reference to ESPN.

Details

Martinez spoke, announcing his first Portugal squad after the former Liverpool and Portugal star died along with his brother Andre Silva in a car accident in northern Spain on July 3.

"This is the first training camp without Diogo Jota," Martinez said. "We know what Diogo meant to each of us, the impact he had on our lives. We want to honor his memory every day."

"He will be with us and will be another force in achieving our goals. Diogo Jota's example is a light for us. (...) In this new journey to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the number of players is 23 + 1, meaning Diogo," he pointed out.

Neves, one of Jota's closest friends after years spent together in the Portuguese national teams and in club teams FC Porto and Wolverhampton, carried the coffin at Jota's funeral. Jota's last appearance for Portugal was during the team's victory over Spain in the Nations League final in June.

"We are here to fight and do our best to achieve our dream. I can also announce that Diogo Jota's jersey number, 21, is now passed to Ruben Neves, and therefore he remains with all of us on the field," Martinez said.

Like Martinez, Neves also expressed his determination to win Portugal's first World Cup title in Jota's honor.

Addition

Portugal begins its fight for World Cup qualification next year in North America with qualifying matches against Armenia and Hungary on September 6 and 9, respectively. Martinez's squad included 40-year-old star Cristiano Ronaldo and his new Al-Nassr teammate Joao Felix.