Gondomar, Portugal – The football community is in deep mourning following the tragic deaths of Portugal international and Liverpool FC forward, Diogo Jota, 28, and his younger brother, Andre, 26, in a devastating car crash in Spain early on Thursday.

Heartbroken supporters lined the streets of Gondomar, northern Portugal, on Thursday night as hearses carrying the brothers’ coffins arrived at the Capela de Ressurreicao, just after 11 pm. Tears flowed freely as mourners gathered ahead of an early morning wake.

The siblings tragically lost their lives when Diogo Jota’s Lamborghini Huracan reportedly suffered a tire blowout while overtaking another vehicle near Cernadilla, just across the Spanish border. The supercar veered off the A-52 motorway, rolled multiple times, and burst into flames, killing both brothers instantly.

Spanish government official Angel Blanco confirmed that the brothers died at the scene before emergency services could intervene. The intensity of the crash also ignited nearby vegetation, prompting a rapid response from firefighters. Authorities are still investigating and it remains unclear which of the brothers was driving at the time of the accident.

Local parish priest, Jose Macedo, told CNN that the wake would commence at 8 am today at the chapel, with their funeral service scheduled for 10 am on Saturday at the Igreja Matriz, the adjacent Catholic church. “We’re available to celebrate [their life] with everyone and to share the pain and the Christian hope,” Macedo stated.

Earlier on Thursday afternoon, hearses were seen at a funeral home in Puebla de Sanabria, Spain, where the bodies were initially taken. Diogo Jota’s agent, Jorge Mendes, was pictured providing support to the bereaved family and escorting the footballer’s mother into the funeral home.

“We lost two great people. Diogo is an example as a person, husband, son, professional. I still can’t believe it. It’s very difficult,” a tearful Mendes commented.

The procession to Gondomar, a mere 30 minutes from Jota’s hometown of Porto, arrived late into the night. Tragically, the wake is taking place in the same city where, just two weeks prior, the 28-year-old forward had married his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, in a ceremony attended by close friends and family.

According to reports, Diogo and Andre were en route to Santander to catch a ferry to the UK. It is understood they opted against air travel due to Jota’s recent lung surgery, on which he had received medical advice to avoid flying due to pressure changes in the airplane cabin.