It's been one year since the tragic death of Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, with his national team-mates carrying his memory at the World Cup22:30, 02 Jul 2026It will be the one-year anniversary of Diogo Jota's tragic death in a car accident on Friday, with his funeral attended by a host of his team-mates. But Cristiano Ronaldo made the decision not to attend the ceremony for a touching reason.‌On July 3, 2025, Liverpool hero Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car accident in northwestern Spain. This tragedy occurred just 11 days after Jota's wedding to long-term partner Rute Cardoso.‌The footballing world entered a state of mourning. A public wake in memory of Jota and his brother took place the day after the incident, with a funeral mass at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar held on July 5.‌Hundreds attended and gathered outside the church to pay their final respects to the brothers, including dozens of Liverpool players and staff, as well as Portugal stars. But Ronaldo did not attend, for a reason that speaks volumes about the respect he had for his international team-mate.Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Asked during an interview with Piers Morgan why he didn't attend the funeral, Ronaldo said: "Two things; people criticise me a lot. I don't care about that.‌"When your conscience is good and free, you don't have to worry about what people say. But one of the things I don't do? After my father died, I have never been to a cemetery again."He added: "When you know me and you know my reputation? Wherever I go, it is a circus. I don't go out because, if I go, the attention goes to me.‌"I don't want this sort of attention. I don't like it when you go to a sensitive moment to do interviews, to speak about him, to speak about football."This shows how a circus is life, sometimes. I am not a part of that. If you want to be a part of this world, good luck, but I will be a part of another side. People can continue to criticise. I felt good with my decision."Ronaldo simply did not want to take the spotlight away from the disaster that had taken place. The 41-year-old and his Portugal team-mates are keeping Jota's memory alive at the World Cup.‌Since Jota's passing, there have been dozens of heartwarming tributes to the late 28-year-old. Liverpool officially retired his No. 20, as well as paying out his remaining salary in full. In North America this summer, the Portuguese squad is wearing commemorative green-and-red wristbands.The country's prime minister gifted these to each player and they feature the names of every squad member next to Jota's, symbolising his presence at the tournament in spirit. He has also been designated as an honorary member of the World Cup squad.Article continues belowPortugal finished runner-up in Group K after drawing against DR Congo and Colombia, whilst beating Uzbekistan 5-0. They face Croatia in the round of 32.