Rúben Neves is taking Diogo Jota with him into Portugal’s World Cup match against Colombia in Miami Gardens, saying he still talks to the forward and keeps their WhatsApp conversations alive even after Jota’s death in July 2025.
“More than anything, it is to be able to have him with me and with us in this World Cup,” Neves said before Saturday night’s match at Miami Stadium. The midfielder said he has archived the chats on his phone so he can keep sending messages to Jota, a habit he has kept since the striker died alongside his brother André Silva in a car accident in Spain.
Neves and Jota shared 164 matches across their careers, a run that included Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Portugal. That bond has become public in the way Neves has chosen to keep Jota visible, from carrying his coffin at the funeral to speaking openly this week on Portuguese television program Alta Definição on SIC. He said one of Jota’s major career goals was simply to play in the championship, a detail that gives his presence at this tournament a sharper meaning for the Portugal squad.
The match still carried real weight even though Portugal and Colombia had already advanced to the round of 32. Portugal entered Saturday second in Group K with four points, behind Colombia on six, so first place was still on the line. That meant the game was not just about reaching the next round, but about where Portugal would be placed when the bracket tightened.
Francisco Trincão said Jota’s memory has given the team more strength and belief, and that Portugal must use that feeling to win. For Neves, the next step is not complicated: keep playing, keep talking, and keep carrying the teammate he lost into every stage of the tournament.
