"It doesn't matter where we come from, but where we are going."
This sentence, spoken by Diogo Jota himself after a Nations League match in which he scored two goals against Sweden, stands today at the entrance to the Gondomar SC Academy, next to a photo of him in the shirt of the club where he spent his entire childhood. Next to it, another photo in the Portugal shirt shows how far he has come.
Diogo Jota, who tragically lost his life alongside his brother André Silva after a car accident in Spain, was not just a successful footballer – he was a symbol of hope. Born in a small town like Gondomar, he began his football career by paying 20 euros a month to play for a third-tier team, often overlooked by bigger clubs because of his size.
But he never gave up.
Unwavering belief in himself led him first to Paços de Ferreira, then to Porto, Wolverhampton and finally to Liverpool – one of the biggest clubs in the world. It was a long and often difficult road, but Jota always knew where he was going.
He was one of the few elite Portuguese footballers who did not come through the academies of Benfica, Sporting or Porto, but he still reached the top. His former coordinator at Paços, Gilberto Andrade, recalls: “What distinguished him was his mental strength. He understood very quickly what it meant to be a professional – and he embraced that role completely.”
His dedication was so great that even when big teams started looking for him, Jota chose to stay in the club's dormitory, with the young and trial players. He was the only first-team player to live there – focused solely on work.
At one point, he asked Andrade for help learning a foreign language, knowing that one day he would have to play abroad. It was a decision that clearly showed the vision and clarity he had for his future.
His career has also had its setbacks – like a heart problem that forced him to take a month off. But even then, he wasn’t discouraged. “Don’t put the cart before the horse,” he would say calmly.
For Jota, football was not just talent – it was dedication, sacrifice and a journey. And he walked this journey with pride, until he touched the hearts of millions of fans and became an inspirational figure for younger generations.
Today, the Gondomar Academy bears his name: the Diogo Jota Academy. But more than a name on a board, he remains a living memory for those who dream of reaching far, no matter where they start.
Diogo Jota will not be forgotten. He proved that the journey is more important than the starting point – and he made that journey unforgettable.
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