Honestly, it’s still hard to talk about Diogo Jota in the past tense. For fans of Liverpool and Portuguese football, the summer of 2025 remains a blurred, painful memory. But when people ask did Diogo Jota have kids, they aren't just looking for a number. They’re looking for the legacy of a man who was, by all accounts, a massive family guy.
Jota wasn't just a clinical finisher with a weirdly good heading ability for his height. He was a father to three young children.
It's one of those stories that feels like a gut punch every time you revisit it. Just eleven days before the horrific car accident in Spain that took his life and the life of his brother, André Silva, Diogo had finally tied the knot with his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso. They had been together since they were teenagers back in Portugal. By the time they said "I do" in June 2025, they already had a full house.
The Three Children Diogo Jota Left Behind
If you follow the Reds or checked Jota’s Instagram back in the day, you definitely saw his kids. He didn't hide them away; they were his world.
Dinis is the oldest. He was born in February 2021, right as Diogo was really starting to find his feet at Anfield after that big move from Wolves. You might remember the videos of Dinis running onto the pitch at the end of matches. He’s about five years old now.
Then came Duarte, the second son. He arrived in March 2023. There’s a really sweet photo Diogo posted for Duarte’s first birthday involving a cake-cutting ceremony that went viral for being just... normal. That was Jota's vibe. No ego, just a dad in a hoodie.
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The youngest is a daughter, born in November 2024.
For a long time, the couple kept her name relatively private. She was only about eight months old when the accident happened. Rute recently shared a heart-wrenching post for the little girl’s first birthday in late 2025, showing photos of Diogo holding her. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you want to put your phone down and hug your own family.
A Family Rooted in Gondomar
Diogo and Rute weren't your typical "flashy" football couple. They met in school. They grew up in the same area of Porto. While other players were out at the hottest clubs, Diogo was usually at home playing FIFA (now FC) or hanging out with his kids and their three beagles.
He even had a football academy named after him in his hometown of Gondomar. He never forgot where he came from, and he clearly wanted his kids to have that same grounded upbringing.
Life After July 2025: How the Family is Doing
The accident in the Zamora region of Spain changed everything. Reports at the time suggested a tyre blowout while Diogo was driving to catch a ferry for pre-season training. It was a freak occurrence that left Rute a widow with three children under the age of five.
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But the football world didn't just move on.
Liverpool’s $20 Million Gesture
One of the most "classy" moves in modern sports history happened shortly after the tragedy. Liverpool FC, under the guidance of ownership and manager Arne Slot, decided to pay out the entire remainder of Diogo’s contract to Rute and the children.
- The Contract: He had roughly two years left on a deal worth about £140,000 a week.
- The Total: It amounted to roughly $20 million (£15 million).
- The Impact: This ensures that Dinis, Duarte, and their sister are financially set for life, regardless of what happens next.
Arne Slot mentioned in an interview that while people might think this is "normal," it actually isn't. Professional sports is a business, and contracts usually have "death in service" clauses that pay out far less. Liverpool chose to treat them like family instead of employees.
The Kids at Anfield: A Bitter-Sweet Return
In December 2025, during a match against Wolves—the other English club that held Jota dear—the children made a public appearance. Dinis and Duarte walked out as mascots.
Seeing those two boys in the red kit, standing where their dad used to score goals, brought the house down. The "Si Señor" chant for Jota still rings out at Anfield, and probably will for decades. Rute posted an emotional statement afterward, thanking the fans for keeping Diogo’s memory alive for the sake of the kids.
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Key Facts About Diogo Jota’s Children
| Child | Gender | Birth Date |
|---|---|---|
| Dinis | Son | February 2021 |
| Duarte | Son | March 2023 |
| Name Private | Daughter | November 2024 |
It’s easy to look at stats—65 goals for Liverpool, a Premier League title, a Nations League trophy. But for those kids, he was just "Pai."
The reality of did Diogo Jota have kids is that he had a beautiful, growing family that was just starting its next chapter. While he isn't here to see them grow up, the support from the global football community has been massive. From Cristiano Ronaldo sending personal tributes to Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson staying close to the family, the "Liverpool family" isn't just a marketing slogan.
If you’re looking for ways to remember Jota’s legacy, many fans have donated to youth football charities in Porto or supported the Gondomar SC academy he loved so much. Keeping his story alive helps ensure those three kids grow up knowing exactly how much their father was loved.
What you can do next: If you want to support the causes Diogo cared about, look into the Gondomar S.C. youth development programs or the LFC Foundation, which continues to work with bereaved families in the Merseyside area. Watching old highlight reels is great, but supporting the next generation of kids—just like his—is a much more fitting tribute to the No. 20.