Tributes for Jota lead season opening

Jota's wife and children will attend the season opener as Liverpool and the league honor the forward and his late brother.

Tributes accompany Jota family at Liverpool season opener

Liverpool will open the season at Anfield against Bournemouth with tributes to Diogo Jota after his passing in June. The club says his wife, Rute Cardoso, and their three children are expected to be at the ground, and Jota will be featured on the matchday programme cover. Liverpool has already paid tribute across the pre-season tour, at Wembley in the Community Shield, and the number 20 shirt has been retired in his memory.

Ahead of kick-off, a moment of silence will be observed across the Premier League, and captains will wear black armbands to honor him. Chelsea have announced a donation of part of their Club World Cup prize bonus to Cardoso and Jota's family, while Wolves will stage a tribute at Molineux ahead of their season opener. A commemorative 100-page programme for the match will celebrate his time with the club and include tributes from players and staff.

This outpouring of grief shows how a football club can bind a city in shared sorrow. The presence of Jota’s family at the opener personalizes the moment and steadies the season’s start with a human touch. Retiring the shirt and publishing a dedicated programme shapes the club’s identity around memory as part of its longer-term culture.

The tributes also raise questions about how memory is used in sport. While gestures and donations can provide real support to a grieving family, clubs must guard against turning mourning into branding or fundraising. The coming months will test how Liverpool, and the league at large, balance respect for the individual with the demands of competition and public scrutiny.

Highlights

The memory of Diogo Jota will linger as Liverpool moves forward.