Cristiano Ronaldo misses Diogo Jota funeral after sharing heartbreaking tribute

Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to attend the funeral of Diogo Jota on Saturday morning. Jota was laid to rest alongside his brother Andre Silva at a church in Gondomar, near Porto, in Portugal after the pair died in a car crash in Spain.

Jota's Liverpool teammates and those from the Portugal national team, as well as his former teammates from Wolves were among those to travel to Portugal to pay their respects.

Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson were seen carrying red floral tributes into the church, while Portugal stars Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Neves were also present inside the Chapel of the Resurrection.

Neves, who played with Jota for Wolves and Portugal, was among those to help carry the coffin into the church, having flown over from the United States after playing at the Club World Cup for Al-Hilal. But Ronaldo, who is Portugal captain, was not among the mourners attending the funeral, which was conducted by priest Jose Manuel Macedo at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar catholic church.

READ MORE: Diogo Jota funeral: Liverpool players and Bruno Fernandes join family at emotional service

READ MORE: Diogo Jota funeral: Liverpool players arrive in Portugal to pay respects to tragic team-mate

Mirror Football understands Ronaldo was wary of appearing in the tiny town of Gondomar and his presence overshadowing the farewell to his team-mate and younger brother. He has been keeping a low profile in recent days, surrounded by his family.

Ronaldo did post an emotional tribute to Jota on social media after the tragic news broke on Thursday. He wrote: "It doesn't make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just gotten married.

"To your family, your wife and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you."

Alongside Van Dijk and Robertson were fellow Liverpool stars Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and manager Arne Slot. Ex-Liverpool players in Caoimhin Kelleher, Jordan Henderson and James Milner were also present.

Jota and his brother died after the Lamborghini they were travelling in spun off the road in north west Spain and caught fire in the early hours of Thursday morning. The funeral followed a private wake on Friday, which was attended by Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who he married last month, and the player's family.

Reacting to the heartbreaking news, the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement: “Diogo Jota was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his team-mates and opponents. He had a contagious joy and was a reference point in his own community.

“On behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation and myself, I would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Diogo and Andre as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the respective clubs of the players.

“We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day.”