Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal plans to pay tribute to Diogo Jota at the 2026 World Cup
Portugal will honor former international Diogo Jota during their World Cup campaign, with the team wearing special commemorative bracelets, midfielder Vitinha revealed on Saturday ahead of their Group K opener against DR Congo.
The bracelets were presented to the players by Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and feature the names of all members of the current team, while also paying tribute to Jota, who died alongside his brother in last year’s traffic accident in northwestern Spain shocked the football world.
Jota represented Portugal 49 times and found the net 14 times for the national team. His legacy continues to resonate with the team, with several players still talking about the impact he had on and off the field.
As Portugal begin their quest for World Cup glory, the tribute will serve as a reminder of a teammate whose loss is still felt strongly throughout the dressing room.
THAT’S HOW HE MOVES…
Vitinha reveals that the Portuguese players will wear a wristband presented by Luso Montenegro, Portugal’s Prime Minister, with their name and Diogo Jota’s name on it during the World Cup.pic.twitter.com/ogJwJf64AI— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) June 14, 2026
Vitinha told a press conference that they can wear armbands during matches. The midfielder also said that Montenegro gave them the option to want to use her during matches and the whole team decided to show respect to the late striker.
“The story of the bracelet is basically that when we went to meet the prime minister, he offered us this bracelet,” Vitinha told reporters, as quoted by Reuters.
“They made sure it was a wristband that we could wear on the pitch. It has all the specifications for us to enter the pitch with all the players’ names plus Diogo Jota’s special name.”
“He let us choose whether we want to use it or not, how (we use it), during the day or during the match. We took it with great love and decided to use it.”
Portugal earlier paid tribute to Jota by including him in their World Cup squad along with others. Portugal begin their campaign against DR Congo on Wednesday 17 June.
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Published on:
June 14, 2026 7:37 PM IST