In the small Portuguese town of Gondomar, sorrow filled the air at the funeral of Andrea Silva, brother of footballer Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a car accident in Spain. The last farewell gathered numerous Liverpool teammates, Portuguese national team members, family, friends, and thousands of fans. The atmosphere was heavy with tears and grief.
But one thing shocked many – the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of the Portuguese national team and Jota’s teammate. While everyone expected him to attend, Ronaldo was not present at the funeral, sparking a storm of comments on social media.
According to exclusive information from the English Mirror, Ronaldo was aware of his popularity and consciously decided not to attend so as not to overshadow the farewell. He believed that his presence in a small town like Gondomar would attract massive media and fan attention, turning the sad event into a media spectacle, which would be unfair to the family and the tragedy itself.
Instead, Ronaldo contacted Jota’s family, explained his decision, and promised to provide all necessary support in the future. Among those present at the funeral were Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Darwin Nunez, Joe Gomez, manager Arne Slot, as well as numerous Portuguese internationals like Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, Bruno Fernandes, and others.
Ruben Neves, one of Jota’s closest friends, arrived directly from Saudi Arabia, where he had played a World Club Championship match the night before, and was one of the pallbearers. His dedication and grief deeply moved everyone present.
This decision by Cristiano Ronaldo not to attend the funeral, though unexpected to many, shows his desire to respect the family’s privacy and not turn the tragedy into a media circus. Still, social media exploded with comments, mixing understanding and criticism.
In the football world, where media games and spectacles are common, Ronaldo’s move is unusual and sparks varied reactions. Is this an example of maturity and respect, or a missed opportunity to pay public tribute? We’ll leave that for you to decide.
If you have thoughts on this or have seen similar situations in sports, drop a comment below. Who knows, maybe your word will spark a new debate!
