Diogo Jota’s widow Rute Cardoso is set to release a book about the tragic death of the Liverpool ace in a car crash nearly a year ago, including her final words to him
The heartbroken widow of Diogo Jota is set to disclose that she messaged the ex-Liverpool and Wolves star, oblivious to his fatal crash, expressing her wish to send him their wedding video when he had a chance to stop.
Rute Cardoso will reportedly share this gut-wrenching revelation in a book due next week about her final words to her newlywed husband and father of three before learning of his horrific accident in his £180,000 Lamborghini Huracan, where he perished alongside elder brother Andre Silva.
She will also maintain that the 28-year-old, who tragically lost his life in an early morning motorway collision in the hired sports car on July 3 last year while en route to Santander to board a ferry to the UK, was never the type of player fixated with flashy cars and pricey timepieces.
Childhood sweethearts Diogo and Rute exchanged vows at a church in Porto on June 22 last year, 13 years after they began dating and just 11 days prior to the crash on the A-52 near Cernadilla close to Zamora, near Spain’s north-west border with Portugal.
The official biography, available from April 9 in Portugal and penned by former footballer Jose Manuel Delgado, is titled ‘Nunca Mais e Muito Tempo’ – which translates into English as ‘Never Again Is a Long Time.’
Discussing the biography on Portuguese television, presenter Isabel Figueira stated: “What shook me the most when reading an excerpt from the book is the way Rute narrates the last messages she sends him, which Diogo never receives.
“She says she had just received the wedding video and she says ‘Love, when you stop, call me, because I have something here to show you,’ and it was this video.”
Rute, who has since relocated to Gondomar near Porto in Portugal with the couple’s children, is also believed to have informed Jose Manuel about her frantic attempts to contact Diogo. She began by calling the hotel near the crash site where Diogo was supposed to stay that night when she grew concerned at his lack of response. She then contacted hospitals, the police and finally a lorry driver relative with good connections to Spanish traffic police.
In another extract from the book highlighted by Portuguese magazine Flash, she states: “Unlike most players, who like flashy cars, jewellery and watches, Diogo was never into that scene. The vehicles we had were enough for him. Perhaps because he was never very interested in cars, he took the opportunity to have the experience of driving a Ferrari, which, in fact, he returned on the morning of our wedding. Afterwards, he would rent the Lamborghini.”
The Premier League star had been advised against flying to Britain following lung surgery. Spanish police stated last year that the car Diogo and his brother were in was likely speeding when they crashed.
In a statement shortly after the horrific accident, the Civil Guard in Zamora said: “Everything is also pointing to a possible high excess of speed over the permitted speed on that stretch of the motorway. All the tests conducted so far indicate that the driver of the crash vehicle was Diogo Jota.”
The force confirmed the same day of the 12.30am July 3 2025 crash. “Everything is pointing to a tyre blowout as the car was overtaking. As a result of the accident, the car caught fire and both occupants died,” said a source.
Locals residing near the crash site have voiced their concerns about the condition of the road. The complete police report is believed to have been submitted to a Spanish judge investigating the accident, but court officials have previously stated they will not disclose its contents.
In addition to the footballers’ parents and other family members, Liverpool manager Arne Slot, former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, and Manchester City stars Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva, have also contributed to the new official biography.
Publisher Cultura Editors, part of Lisbon-based parent company Grupo Infinito Particular, described it in an online preview as a “deeply emotional and respectful work that pays tribute to the life and legacy of Diogo Jota, not only as an elite player, but also as a man.”