Juanito, Motjeka Madisha, Diogo Jota – 15 footballers who died in car accidents

The football world has been thrown into mourning after the tragic loss of Liverpool star Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, in a car crash in Spain on Thursday, July 3, 2025.

The accident happened on the A-52 highway near Cernadilla, a small town close to the Portuguese border.

According to Spain’s Guardia Civil, the car swung off the road after a tire burst while overtaking. The vehicle caught fire, and sadly, neither Jota nor his brother survived.

News of their deaths has left fans, teammates, and the entire football community in shock. Tributes have poured in for the two brothers, remembered not just for their incredible talent but also for their kindness and love for the game.

The incident adds to the sad list of footballers who lost their lives behind the wheel.

Here is the list of 15 footballers who died in car accidents:

Juanito (1992, Spain)

Juan Gómez González, also known as Juanito, was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward.

A player with tremendous dribbling ability whose career was overshadowed by a fierce character, he was best known for his Real Madrid years, but he died in a road accident at the age of 37.

Since his death, Juanito continued to be remembered in the seventh minute of every home game, as the Ultras chanted “Illa illa illa, Juanito maravilla”

 Federico Pisani (Italy, 1997)

At just 22, Federico was the kind of striker Italian fans dreamed would lead the Azzurri one day. Playing for Atalanta, his future was blindingly bright—until a night out ended in a devastating car crash.

His club retired his number 14 shirt, and today, a part of their stadium still bears his name, a quiet tribute to what could have been.

Michael Millett (England, 1995)

Seventeen years old and already breaking into Wigan Athletic’s senior team, Michael had everything ahead of him. Then, in an instant, a crash near Garswood took it all away.

His club later won an Academy Award in his memory, a small comfort for a life that should have been so much more.

Jimmy Davis (England, 2003)

On loan at Watford from Manchester United, Jimmy was just 21 when his car collided with a lorry on the M40.

Both clubs mourned him with black armbands and moments of silence, a heartbreaking farewell for a player who never got to reach his prime.

Ray Jones (England, 2007)

Ray had just earned his shot at the Premier League with Queens Park Rangers. Weeks later, he was gone. The club retired his number 31, and fans still gather to remember the teenager whose talent burned too briefly.

Edy Vásquez (Honduras, 2007)

Edy Vásquez, a Honduran football midfielder who played for F.C. Motagua, died in the Hospital Escuela in the morning of May 12, 2007, when the car which was carrying him crashed into a wall at Tegucigalpa in Honduras. The accident left the driver and another passenger injured.

Due to his death, the club team Motagua has retired his jersey number 16 in respect of his loyalty to the team.

Junior Malanda (Belgium, 2015)

A rising force in Wolfsburg’s midfield, Junior’s life ended on a rain-slicked road. Speeding, the car lost control—he was thrown from the back seat and died instantly. Wolfsburg retired his jersey, but no tribute could fill the void he left behind.

Maximiliano Giusti (Argentina, 2016)

Maximiliano Jorge Giusti was an Argentine football centre forward who also died after a ghastly car accident. At the time of his death, he played for Mushuc Runa in the Ecuadorian Serie A.

Yesid Aponzá (Colombia, 2016)

Aponzá had a brief career in professional football before his untimely death. He passed away on October 2, 2016, in his hometown of Guachené in Colombia.

Josef Šural (Czech Republic, 2019)

Czech striker Josef Šural had just begun a new chapter in his career, signing with Turkish club Alanyaspor, when his life was cut short in a heartbreaking accident.

On April 29, 2019, a minibus carrying Šural and six teammates crashed just outside Alanya. While the other players, including well-known names like Steven Caulker and Papiss Cissé, survived with non-life-threatening injuries, Šural wasn’t as fortunate. He suffered severe injuries and passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Antonio Reyes (Spain, 2019)

Once an Arsenal and Sevilla star, Antonio’s life ended in a horrifying crash near his hometown. Reports said his Mercedes was going 237 km/h (147 mph) when it veered off the road.

At 35, he was still young, still loved—gone alongside his cousin in a moment of terrible speed.

Diego Montiel (Argentina, 2019)

A midfielder for Atlético de Rafaela, Diego was only 23 when his car flipped off the road. The Argentine football community, especially the lower leagues where he shone, was left reeling.

Motjeka Madisha (South Africa, 2020)

A star for Mamelodi Sundowns, Motjeka was pulled alive from his burning car but didn’t survive his injuries. South African football hasn’t been the same without him.

Freddy Rincón (Columbia, 2022)

Legendary Colombian midfielder Rincón died in April 2022 after being involved in a car crash in Colombia. His death had a deep impact on the South American football world.

Diogo Jota (Portugal, 2025)

The most recent loss, and one of the hardest to bear. At 28, Diogo had just married, his career at Liverpool soaring. Then, on a highway in Spain, his car left the road and burst into flames, taking him and his brother André with it.