FIFA President Gianni Infantino meets parents of Diogo Jota, Andre Silva during Portugal's World Cup opener
Texas, June 18
FIFA President Gianni Infantino met Joaquim Silva and Isabel Silva, the parents of late Portuguese footballers Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, during Portugal's opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match against DR Congo in Houston.
Last year in July, Diogo Jota died in a car accident in Spain at the age of 28. At the time of the accident, Jota was travelling with his brother Andre Silva, who also died in the tragic accident.
Sharing a heartfelt message on Instagram, Infantino said the meeting was a moment of remembrance and reflection during the tournament.
"I was honoured to meet Joaquim Silva and Isabel Silva - the parents of late Portuguese brothers Diogo Jota and Andre Silva - before Portugal's opening FIFA World Cup game against Congo DR in Houston," he wrote.
He further added: "Representing @portugal at this tournament was a dream Diogo nurtured with everyone who loved him and, while celebrating these moments of togetherness, we continue to keep Diogo and Andre in our thoughts. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to welcome you," the FIFA President concluded.
The gesture came as teams and officials paid tribute to the late Portuguese players during the ongoing tournament, with emotional messages shared across the football community.
Meanwhile, Portugal endured a frustrating start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign after being held to a 1-1 draw by a spirited DR Congo side.
One of the pre-tournament favourites, Portugal made a flying start when Joao Neves headed them into an early lead inside six minutes, appearing set to secure a routine victory.
However, DR Congo grew into the contest and struck a crucial equaliser just before half-time, with Yoane Wissa powering in a header from a corner to register his country's first-ever World Cup goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo, appearing at his sixth World Cup, had a quiet outing and struggled to make a decisive impact as the match ended in a stalemate.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, this is beautiful but also makes me wonder - why does FIFA do these PR moves but ignore grassroots development in countries like ours? In India, we have so much raw football talent in Kerala, Bengal, Goa that never gets proper support. Still, my heart goes out to the Silva family. 💔
As a football fan from Mumbai, this hits hard. Diogo Jota was such a promising talent, and his brother too. The parents must be so proud to see Portugal honoring their sons' memory. Ronaldo playing his sixth World Cup is incredible - he's like our Sachin Tendulkar in terms of longevity! 🇮🇳⚽
Classy move by Infantino. But let's be real - FIFA's focus should be on making football accessible in developing nations, not just photo ops. India's women's team ranked higher than ever, yet we have zero proper stadiums in most states. Good gesture, but we need more substance.
Can't imagine what the parents are going through. Watching Portugal play must be bittersweet - dreaming of what would have been. India needs to build a football culture like Portugal's. Our ISL is growing but we need more investment at the grassroots level. Kudos to FIFA for this human touch. 🤝
This is what sports should be about - honoring the human spirit. As someone who follows football from India, it's heartwarming to see FIFA acknowledge the tragedy. But they should also focus on countries like ours where millions dream of playing professionally but lack infrastructure. Still, beautiful moment. ❤️
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.