Ronaldo wears Jota’s number as Portugal commemorates Anfield statue

Portugal reached the World Cup round of 16 with a hard‑fought 2‑1 victory over Croatia, and captain Cristiano Ronaldo honoured the late Diogo Jota by wearing the striker’s number 21 shirt, while a new ‘Forever 20’ statue was unveiled at Liverpool’s Anfield to remember Jota and his brother André Silva. Portugal beat Croatia 2‑1 to secure the last‑16 place. After the win, Ronaldo said, “Het is een bijzondere dag. Hij is daarboven en geeft ons het licht. We weten dat hij bij ons is en het was dan ook logisch om vandaag te winnen om hem op de best mogelijke manier te eren”. Ronaldo’s sister Katia Aveiro noted that the tournament is his last as an international and that his future is not the priority now. Ronaldo celebrated his 146th goal in his 232nd cap for Portugal during the match.

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Arne Slot described the tribute as “heel emotioneel om te zien hoe Portugal hem eert”. He reflected on the impact of Jota’s death on the football community. The new ‘Forever 20’ statue at Anfield was created by English sculptor Emma Rodgers and features a heart‑shaped centre. The work displays the numbers 20 and 30, the final shirt numbers of Jota at Liverpool and André Silva at Penafiel, and rests on a stone base sourced from Gondomar, near their birthplace.

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Diogo Jota married Rute Cardoso on 22 June 2025, just two weeks before his fatal Lamborghini crash while travelling from Portugal to Santander. He was heading to the ferry for the season’s preparation in England when the accident occurred. Portugal will meet Spain on Monday at 21:00 in the World Cup round of 16. The encounter offers a chance for the Portuguese side to continue honoring Jota’s memory on the global stage.