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Diogo Jota's legacy will be honored by the Portuguese national team, with his No. 21 shirt being handed to his longtime teammate and best friend, Ruben Neves.
Jota's No. 20 shirt was retired by Liverpool after his tragic death aged 28 in a car crash in July, which also claimed the life of his brother, Andre Silva. However, the 49-cap Portugal international's family has requested for the No. 21 lineage to remain, with former Porto and Wolves teammate Neves having the honor.
The decision was confirmed by Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez, with the honor being bestowed upon Al-Hilal star Neves, who was a pallbearer at Jota's funeral.
Martinez announced his first Portugal squad since Jota's death on Friday, with the World Cup qualifiers against Armenia and Hungary coming up next week
“I think Diogo embodies unity, motivation, responsibility, because he wanted to win the World Cup," former Everton and Belgium boss Martinez said. "So here we are to fight and make that happen, to achieve the dream.
“I am also pleased to announce that Diogo Jota’s No. 21 shirt will be passed on to Ruben Neves. Ensuring that it remains on the pitch with us all.
“It was not a decision made by the coach or by the Portuguese Football Federation. It was the decision of Diogo Jota’s family.”
Martinez's team travels to Yerevan to take on Armenia on Sep. 6 before making the trip to Budapest to take on Hungary on Sep. 9.
An emotional homecoming follows in October's international break, with Portugal hosting the Republic of Ireland and Hungary for qualifiers in Lisbon.
Martinez says the spirit of Jota lives on, and his memory will inspire his players as they target World Club glory in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.
"We know what Diogo represented for each one of us, the impact he had on our lives,” Martinez said. “We want to honour his memory every day. He will be with us and he will give us extra strength to achieve our targets.
“Diogo Jota’s example is a light for us. We will carry his spirit in our hearts. We will win for Diogo, for his brother, André, and as always for all the Portuguese people.
“In this squad announcement on the road to World Cup 2026, the number of players is 23 plus one — Diogo Jota.”
English (US) ·