Family of Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother gather for wake after fatal crash

GONDOMAR, Portugal (AP) — Family and friends of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother gathered at a chapel where their bodies were brought for a wake on Friday, a day after the Portuguese soccer players were killed in a car crash.

Some hugged and wept before entering the Capela da Ressurreição São Cosme. The brothers’ parents attended, as well as Jota’s agent, Jorge Mendes. Mourners left flowers and candles next to a tree outside the chapel were visitation was held.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also visited to pay his respects.

The chapel sits next to the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church where the funeral for the siblings is planned for Saturday.

Gondomar resident Ricardo Alves lamented the loss of the local star as he passed by.

“It is a great sadness. Although I did not know him personally he was from here and I knew many of his friends from the region where he lived," Alves said. "It is a great loss, he is a young man, with a lot still to give and he had a somewhat tragic fate.”

Jota, 28, and his brother, André Silva, 25, were found dead near Zamora in northwestern Spain after the Lamborghini they were driving crashed on an isolated stretch of highway just after midnight on Thursday and burst into flames.

Their bodies were repatriated to Portugal after being identified by the family, Spanish government officials said.

Jota and his parents both have homes in Gondomar, where he started his playing career as a child. Gondomar is a working-class town next to Porto, where Jota was born.

Jota’s death occurred two weeks after he married long-time partner Rute Cardoso while on vacation from a long season where he helped Liverpool win the Premier League. The couple had three children, the youngest born last year.

Spanish police are investigating the cause of the crash, which did not involve another vehicle, they said. They said they believe it could have been caused by a blown tire.

Jota's brother Silva played for Portuguese club Penafiel in the lower divisions.

The loss was felt sharply in his hometown, especially at his first soccer club, where Jota started playing at age 9.

“He never forgot his roots, nor his friends, because he had a group of friends who were with him in the training here in Gondomar and who he even invited from time to time to go and watch Liverpool games in England," Gondomar SC director Anselmo Serra told The Associated Press. “They were like a group of friends that he never forgot over the years.”

Jota and his brother were driving overnight to catch a boat from Santander, on Spain’s northern coast, to go to England to rejoin Liverpool, when they crashed, according to Portuguese media.

Portuguese sports website Record published a video interview with Miguel Gonçalves, who said he worked as a physical therapist for Jota. Gonçalves told Record that Jota was avoiding flying due to a lung condition that he recently treated.

“I was in his house at night for a last treatment,” Gonçalves said. “He was proud to have recovered from his pulmonary problem. He was happy to be with his brother. They were excited to spend some time together on the trip.”

Spanish police have yet to say which brother was driving.

Condolences poured in from Portuguese officials and the world of soccer as news of the accident spread.

A moment of silence was held before Portugal played Spain at the Women’s European Championship in Switzerland late Thursday.

For a second day, Liverpool fans laid flowers and scarves outside Anfield Stadium. Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was among those to place a bouquet at the impromptu memorial to Jota.

Liverpool's players are not due back from their summer break until Monday.

Mohamed Salah wrote on social media that it will be hard to return to the team without Jota.

“Teammates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back,” Salah wrote. “My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.”

Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. David Biller in Rome and photojournalist Manu Fernández in Gondomar contributed.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Liverpool supporters wearing shirts in memory of Diogo Jota at Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool, who has died at the age of 28, in Liverpool, England, Friday July 4, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

People gather at the church where the bodies of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and André Silva have been brought for a wake and funeral in Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal, on Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, center, arrives at a church where the bodies of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and André Silva have been brought for a wake and funeral, in Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal, on Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Soccer agent Jorge Mendes arrives at the church where the bodies of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva have been brought for a wake and funeral in Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal, on Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Joaquim, center, father of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, is embraced at a church where their bodies have been brought for a wake and funeral, in Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal, on Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Family and friends of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, hold flowers as they arrive at a church where their bodies have been brought for a wake and funeral, in Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal, on Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Joaquim, center, father of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, arrives accompanied by other relatives at a church where their bodies have been brought for a wake and funeral, in Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal, on Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The site of the car accident in which Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother died in the north-western city of Zamora, Spain, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Fraile)

A fan holds a sign with the Portuguese word "Eternal" in memory of Portuguese international footballer Diogo Jota, who lost his life in a car crash in Spain, before the Euro 2025, group B, soccer match between Spain and Portugal at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Portugal's players hold a banner with the words "Thank you for everything. Rest in peace." for Portuguese soccer player Diogo Jota who died in a car accident in Spain, after the Euro 2025, group B, soccer match between Spain and Portugal at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (Peter Klaunzer/Keystone via AP)

A woman at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport in Madrid, reads a newspaper showing on its front page the car involved in the crash in which Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother died in the north-western city of Zamora, Spain, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

FILE - Liverpool's Diogo Jota celebrates scoring during the Premier League match at Carrow Road, Norwich, Saturday Aug. 14, 2021. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP, File)

The Golden Globes bill themselves as Hollywood’s booziest bash. This year, is anyone ready to party?

Political tension and industrywide uncertainty are the prevailing moods heading into Sunday night's 83rd Golden Globes. Hollywood is coming off a disappointing box-office year and now anxiously awaits the fate of one of its most storied studios, Warner Bros.

A celebratory mood might be even more elusive given that the wide majority of the performers and filmmakers congregating at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, oppose the policies of President Donald Trump. Likely to be on the minds of many attendees: the recent U.S. involvement in Venezuela and the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother Renee Good in Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

But through their ups and downs, the Globes have always tried to put pomp over politics. Host Nikki Glaser has vowed as much.

“You’d be surprised that half the room had no clue why I was saying ‘Venezuela,’” Glaser told The Associated Press earlier in the week, referring to her comedy-club warm-ups. “People aren’t getting the news like we all are.”

Glaser, a comic known for her roast appearances, has promised to go after A-listers in her second time hosting.

“We’re going to hit Leo,” Glaser said. “The icebergs are coming.”

Here’s what to look for at this year’s Globes:

The Golden Globes kick off at 8 p.m. EST on CBS while streaming live for Paramount+ premium subscribers. E!’s red carpet coverage begins at 6 p.m. EST.

The Associated Press will be have a livestream show beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern with a mix of stars' arrivals, fashion shots and celebrity interviews. It will be available on YouTube and APNews.

The overwhelming Oscar favorite “One Battle After Another” comes in with a leading nine nominations. It’s competing in the Globes’ musical or comedy category, which means the drama side might be more competitive. There, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” and Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” are all in the mix.

But thus far, “One Battle After Another” has cleaned up just about everywhere. Much of Paul Thomas Anderson’s cast is nominated, including DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti and Benicio Del Toro.

If it and “Sinners” take home the two biggest prizes, it will be a banner night for Warner Bros. even as its future hangs in the balance. The studio has agreed to be acquired by Netflix is a deal worth $82.7 billion. Movie theaters have warned such a result would be “a direct and irreversible negative impact on movie theaters around the world.”

The merger awaits regulatory approval, while Paramount Skydance is still trying to convince Warner shareholders to accept its rival offer.

After an audacious promotional tour for “Marty Supreme,” Timothée Chalamet is poised to win his first Globe in five nominations. In best actor, comedy or musical, he’ll have to beat DiCaprio, a three-time Globe winner, and Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”).

In best actress, comedy or musical, Rose Byrne is the favorite for her performance in the not especially funny A24 indie “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” One prominent nominee in the category, Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked: For Good”), won’t be attending due to her schedule in the West End production “Dracula.”

Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”) is the clear front-runner in best actress, drama. In the star-studded best actor, drama, category, the Brazilian actor Wagner Moura (“The Secret Agent”) may win over Michael B. Jordan (“Sinners”) and Joel Edgerton (“Train Dreams”).

In the supporting categories, Teyana Taylor and Stellan Skarsgård come in the favorites.

The Globes, formerly presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, have no overlap or direct correlation with the Academy Awards. After being sold in 2023 to Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, a part of Penske Media, the Globes are voted on by around 400 people. The Oscars are voted on by more than 10,500 professionals.

But in the fluctuating undulations of awards season, a good speech at the Globes can really boost an Oscar campaign. Last year, that seemed to be the case for Demi Moore, who won for “The Substance” and gave the night's most emotional speech. Mikey Madison (“Anora”), however, scored the upset win at the Oscars.

A few potentially good moments this year went instead in a Golden Eve ceremony earlier this week. There, the Cecil B. DeMille and Carol Burnett honorees, Helen Mirren and Sarah Jessica Parker, accepted their awards.

One to watch, if he wins, will be the Iranian director Jafar Panahi. His revenge drama “It Was Just an Accident” is up for four awards. Panahi has spent most of his career making films clandestinely, without approval of authorities, and was until recently banned from leaving the country. Last month, he was sentenced to a year in prison, which would be only his latest stint behind bars if Panahi returns home to serve it. This week, protests over Iran’s ailing economy have spread throughout the country in a new test to Iran's leaders.

For the first time, the Globes are trotting out a new podcast category. The nominees are: “Armchair Expert,” “Call Her Daddy,” “Good Hang With Amy Poehler,” “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” “SmartLess” and “Up First.”

In TV, HBO Max’s “The White Lotus” — another potential big winner for Warner Bros. — leads with six nominations. Netflix’s “Adolescence” comes in with five nods.

But the most closely watched nominee might be “The Studio.” The first season of Seth Rogen’s Hollywood satire memorably included an episode devoted to drama around a night at the Globes. (Sample line: “I remember when the red carpet of the Golden Globes actually stood for something.”) “The Studio” is up for three awards, giving three chances for life to imitate art.

For more coverage of this year’s Golden Globe Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/golden-globe-awards

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