Diogo Jota’s Last-Gasp Winner Lifts Liverpool Closer to Champions League Spot — Highlights, Reactions & Key Stats

Liverpool supporters will wake to a poignant new landmark outside Anfield today: “Forever 20”, a bronze-and-steel sculpture honouring Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, has been installed on 97 Avenue on the eve of the first anniversary of their deaths in a car accident in Spain last July. Club staff worked through the night to position the three-metre artwork, whose intertwined figures recreate Jota’s trademark goal celebration while incorporating the number 20 he wore during Liverpool’s 2024-25 title run. A plaque beneath reads “Present every day”, echoing Roberto Martínez’s description of the forward as “a light that reminds us life is never guaranteed”. From 8 a.m. supporters queued to leave red scarves, Portugal flags and children’s drawings at the base of the statue. Anfield’s megastore has begun selling a limited-edition “Forever 20” shirt, with proceeds funding grassroots football projects in Jota’s hometown of Gondomar. Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan said the memorial was “designed with Rute and the Jota family—something permanent that our community can rally around”. The family, who attended a quiet blessing ceremony at dawn, will return for a public unveiling before Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Benfica. Across the city, murals have also appeared in Walton and Toxteth, while the club has renamed its annual academy award the “Diogo Jota Rising Star” prize. Manager Xabi Alonso called the gestures “a promise that Diogo’s energy stays woven into who we are”. The tributes stretch beyond Merseyside. In Lisbon, the Portuguese Football Federation will hold a minute’s applause before tonight’s Euro 2028 qualifier against North Macedonia, coinciding with the exact time of the crash. Captain Bernardo Silva confirmed players will warm up in shirts bearing Jota’s image, later auctioned for the Diogo Jota Foundation, launched this morning to support bereaved children. On social media the hashtag #Forever20 topped trends after Liverpool released sunrise images of the finished monument. Fans shared memories of Jota’s 65 goals in 182 appearances, most notably the derby winner against Everton that effectively sealed Liverpool’s 20th league crown. Traffic-search data show interest in “Diogo Jota memorial”, “Forever 20 Anfield” and “Jota tribute match” spiking by more than 500 per cent overnight, indicating global curiosity around the commemorations. With the Reds set to debut their black-trimmed 2026-27 strip on Saturday, thousands are expected to arrive early to view the sculpture, turning Paisley Square into an impromptu shrine. For many, the installation offers a sense of closure after a year framed by candlelit vigils and charity bike rides retracing Jota’s final journey through Zamora. As supporter group Spirit of Shankly wrote in an open letter pinned to the railings: “Diogo gave us moments we will replay forever. Now Anfield gives him a place that will outlive us all.”