After Jota s death, Portugal s first training camp, Neves changed to wear his friend s No. 21 jersey

Portuguese men's national football team head coach Roberto Martinez recently announced the new training roster, which is the team's first gathering since the unfortunate death of forward Diogo Jota. Midfielder Ruben Neves will inherit the No. 21 jersey worn by Jota during his lifetime to commemorate. Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a traffic accident in northern Spain on July 3. This international match day is the first appearance of Portugal after the tragedy. Jota played for Liverpool Club during his lifetime. His national teammate Neves not only played side by side with him at Wolves and the national team, but also served as the coffin holder at Jota's funeral and accompanied his widow to attend the commemoration event of Wolves' home match against Manchester City.

Martinez said in a press conference on Friday: "This is the first time we have conducted a training camp without Diogo Jota. We know the meaning of him to everyone and the profound impact he has on our lives. We will always remember him and his spirit will continue to inspire us to achieve our goals. Jota's example is like the light that guides us, and we will always keep him in mind. "

The coach emphasized: "We will fight for Diogo, his brother Andre, and also for the entire Portuguese people. In this new journey of the 2026 World Cup, our number of players is 23 plus 1, and the additional '1' is Diogo. "

Portugal will start training next week to prepare for the two World Cup qualifiers against Armenia and Hungary. Jota's last appearance for the national team was in the European National League final against Spain in June this year. Neves scored the winning goal in the penalty shootout, and Jota appeared as a substitute.

Martinez added: "Jota's absence will become the driving force for us to unite and move forward. Because he always has the dream of winning the World Cup, we must now do our best to realize this dream. " He also officially confirmed: "Jota's No. 21 jersey will be taken over by Ruben Neves, which means his spirit will always be with us. "

This issue's roster also includes 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and his new teammate Joao Felix at the Victory Club in Riyadh.