Cristiano Ronaldo and plenty of his teammates were visibly shaken after they reached the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. After all, it’s the one-year anniversary of the passing of the late, great Diogo Jota and Portugal still have him deep in their memory. Ronaldo even cried while wearing Jota’s #21 jersey after the game.
Speaking in a postgame interview, Ronaldo said, “We won for Diogo, for us, for Portugal.” He then uploaded a social media post with the same message. Now, Portugal know when and where they’ll face Spain in the Round of 16.
Jota passed away tragically a year ago after a devastating car crash that took his life and his brother’s. Jota was very close to many of the Portugal players representing the country in the 2026 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo also showed massive respect to former teammate Luka Modric.
Portugal’s locker room remember Jota very fondly
Jota was a key piece on Portugal’s roster, serving as a multi-positioned attacker and a leader in the locker room. As Portugal’s path to the World Cup final gets clearer, it’s pretty obvious they’ll have Jota as a source of inspiration.
Portugal showed character vs Croatia
Ronaldo scoring meant he broke a World Cup record that not even Lionel Messi can achieve. More than that, starting the game losing and being able to come back against a very competitive team like Croatia speaks volumes. It shows how united and strong this Portugal team is mentally as they kept their 2026 World Cup dream alive.
SurveyWill Portugal beat Spain in the Round of 16?
Will Portugal beat Spain in the Round of 16?
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