A Spanish court has ruled that no criminal liability exists in connection with the devastating Lamborghini crash that killed Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva last summer, formally closing the criminal investigation nearly a year after the fatal accident shocked the soccer world.
The High Court of Justice in Zamora province issued the ruling on April 24, 2026, after concluding that the crash on the A-52 motorway near Cernadilla in northern Spain resulted from a tyre blowout — not negligence or criminal wrongdoing. Investigators determined the Lamborghini Huracán suffered the blowout while overtaking another car, struck a central barrier and burst into flames.
The brothers died on July 3, 2025, in an accident that triggered an outpouring of grief across global soccer. Jota was 28 years old at the time of his death, while Silva was 25.
Court Closes Criminal Proceedings
Sources from the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y Leon confirmed the dismissal had actually been finalized months earlier. “The Court of First Instance in Puebla de Sanabria dismissed the case last November after assessing the documentary evidence in the file and, in particular, the expert reports issued by the Civil Guard’s Traffic Unit,” the court said in a statement reported by Yahoo Sports.
Officials emphasized that while no criminal case will proceed, civil action remains an option for affected parties seeking damages. The November 2025 ruling came after specialists in road traffic collisions reviewed the full case file alongside Civil Guard findings.
At the time of the crash, Jota and Silva were driving across northern Spain en route to the port city of Santander, where they planned to catch a ferry to the UK. Jota was making his way back to England ahead of pre-season training by road after being advised by medical professionals not to fly following lung surgery he had undergone earlier in the summer.
A Career at Its Peak
Jota’s death came just weeks after the most successful campaign of his career. He had lifted the Premier League title with Liverpool — the club’s record-equalling 20th league championship — and the UEFA Nations League with Portugal in the same year. The forward scored six goals and provided four assists in 26 league appearances for Arne Slot’s title-winning side.
Jota originally joined Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2020 in a transfer worth up to £45 million ($58 million), having previously helped the Midlands club secure promotion to the Premier League two years earlier. Across five seasons at Anfield, he claimed four trophies and became a beloved figure among supporters.
Silva had carved out his own professional path, playing for FC Penafiel in Portugal’s second division at the time of his death. Both siblings came through the FC Porto academy system, where their bond on and off the pitch was forged.
Family Tragedy and Tributes
The personal toll of the tragedy has been profound. Just 11 days before the accident, Jota had married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso at a church in Porto, Portugal. He leaves behind Cardoso and their three children — two sons, Dinis and Duarte, and a daughter.
The brothers’ funeral took place on July 5 at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in their hometown of Gondomar. Liverpool manager Arne Slot attended alongside a contingent of Liverpool players and staff. Captain Virgil van Dijk carried a wreath shaped like a football shirt bearing Jota’s number 20, while Andy Robertson — a close friend of Jota — brought a wreath displaying the number 30 that Silva wore at Penafiel.
Liverpool subsequently retired Jota’s No. 20 shirt across all teams — the first time in the club’s 133-year history it had bestowed such an honor. Supporters have continued to applaud in the 20th minute of every home game this season, according to match reports.
Club Honors Lasting Legacy
Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, pledged to support Cardoso and the couple’s children, confirming they would honour the remainder of Jota’s contract. The deal, reported to be worth £140,000 weekly, had been due to expire in 2027.
In December 2025, when Liverpool faced Jota’s former club Wolverhampton Wanderers, Dinis and Duarte served as mascots at Anfield, walking out alongside captain Van Dijk in a moment that brought fans from both clubs to tears. Cardoso, who also revealed at the match that she was expecting the couple’s fourth child, later thanked supporters publicly for their compassion.
While the Spanish court’s ruling brings legal closure to the investigation, the loss of the two brothers continues to resonate deeply within the soccer community. For Liverpool supporters, the families they left behind, and the millions who watched Jota rise to the pinnacle of European football, the grief remains as raw as the memories of his final, triumphant season.