Diogo Jota Profile – Net Worth, Background, Early Life, Family, Club, and International Career | OneFootball

The rise of Diogo Jota is a classic underdog story to tell, considering that five years ago, he was playing Championship football with Wolverhampton Wanderers in England’s second-tier league. The Portuguese forward has come a long way from the youth team of Pacos de Ferreira to an unsuccessful move to Atletico Madrid, where he failed to make a single appearance.

Now aged 27, Jota has been enjoying consistent top-flight football, first with Wolves and now Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp. Jota’s versatility has been a huge plus for Liverpool, as the former Porto winger can be deployed in any attacking position, even at the number 10 role.

This article delves into the key aspects of the Portuguese talent’s life, exploring his early years, family background, net worth, career, and more.

Diogo Jota | Early Life

Diogo Jota was born in Porto, which means he developed a strong interest in football at a very early age. He enrolled in the local team of Gondomar at age nine and played on the team until 2013, when Pacos de Ferreira came knocking.

Diogo Jota for the Wolves in 2017. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

Jota was born Diogo Jose Teixeira da Silva, but because most of the boys in the academy at the time were Portuguese and had names like Diogo, Jose, and da Silva, which are common names in Portugal, the versatile forward started going by the name ‘Jota’ which was the pronunciation for the letter J in Portuguese. He has stuck with this name ever since.

Diogo Jota | Family

Not much has been revealed about Jota’s family except for the fact that he was born to a father named Joaquim and a mother named Isabel. He also has a younger Andre Silva, who is also a professional footballer at FC Penafiel, in the second tier of Portuguese football.

Jota is married to Rute Cardoso, and the couple welcomed their first son in 2021. They also have a new child, taking his total number of children to two.

Diogo Jota | Club Career

Youth Career

Diogo Jota started playing for an academy at the age of nine when his parents put him in the local team, Gondomar. He spent the next eight years of his youth career there until his impressive performances earned him the attention of Pacos de Ferreira, who snapped him up in 2013.

He spent two years in the youth setup at Pacos de Ferreira before being handed his first-team debut in 2014 but continued to appear in youth games for the team until 2015.

Pacos de Ferreira

Despite his overall debut in October 2014, Diogo Jota didn’t get a taste of top-flight football until February 2024, when he made his league debut in the 2-2 draw against Primera Liga side Vitoria de Guimaraes.

Later that year, Jota signed a new long-term deal with the club, which would have kept him there until 2020. He stayed another season at Pacos de Ferreira before signing for Atletico Madrid in March 2016, signing a long-term deal with the Spanish club, although the deal was only effective starting from July that year.

Atletico Madrid and Porto

Sadly, Jota never made a single appearance for Atletico Madrid, as he joined FC Porto on a season-long loan the year he signed to be a player at the Spanish club. He made some wonderful contributions to the Porto side, scoring crucial goals in the league and the UEFA Champions League, especially against Leicester City.

Wolves

Diogo Jota was shipped away on another season-long loan after his successful spell in his native Portugal. Due to the regulations of the English Football League, Jota had to wear his real surname, ‘Silva’, on his back instead of the usual ‘Diogo J.’

That season, Jota’s 17 league goals helped propel Wolverhampton Wanderers back to the Premier League. His form that season convinced Wolves to make his deal permanent in January 2018.

His other seasons were not as prolific as his first in Wolves colors, as he would only end up scoring 16 league goals over two seasons in 67 appearances for the club. Altogether, he scored 44 goals for Wolves in 131 appearances in all competitions before his mega-money switch to Liverpool in 2020.

Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp sanctioned a deal for Liverpool to fork out £45 million to sign Jota from Wolves, and he almost immediately repaid the club for their investment. Diogo Jota went on a goalscoring run of seven goals in his first ten appearances for Liverpool, becoming the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler to achieve such a feat.

The Portuguese forward scored big goals against Manchester United, Arsenal, and also in the UEFA Champions League. After his goal against Leicester in November 2020, he became the first Liverpool player to score in his first four consecutive home matches in the Premier League.

Since joining Liverpool in 2020, Jota has won the EFL and FA Cup, which he won in the same year he made it into the final of the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool. Sadly, Real Madrid defeated them 2-0 in the final.

Jota extended his contract at the Merseyside last season and has been a huge part of the Liverpool side that could win the league this year in Jugen Klopp’s final season at the club. This could also be Diogo Jota’s first taste of the Premier League title.

Diogo Jota | International Career

Diogo Jota has become a key player for the Portuguese national team with his stunning performances. In his 36 appearances, he has proven himself to be more than just a scoring threat by scoring on 12 occasions, proving his ability to finish.

Jota’s impact goes beyond goals, though, as he has also chipped in with 10 assists, showcasing his vision in setting up teammates.

Diogo Jota | Records and Statistics

He has made 393 appearances for clubs and the national team, scoring 138 goals and dishing out 71 assists.

Diogo Jota | Sponsors and endorsements

The only known deal Diogo Jota has is his boot sponsorship deal with German sportswear brand Adidas. Details of his deal with the brand are also unknown, but he’s making a good amount of money from his deal. Due to his relatively low popularity compared to players like Van Dijk, Mo Salah, and Alexander-Arnold, whatever amount he makes will likely be lower than their deals with their respective brands.

Jota has his own eSports team called “Diogo Jota eSports”, which will be an extra source of income for the Portuguese soccer star, as he always streams on Twitch.

Diogo Jota | Philanthropic Activities

According to Facts.net, Jota has been involved in a few charity activities, especially when it comes to showing support to the community he grew up in. He has also supported a few charitable causes he believes in.

Diogo Jota | Records and Statistics

Diogo Jota never won a trophy until he got to England, when he won the EFL Championship in his first season with Wolverhampton Wanderers. His other trophies have come in Liverpool colors, with the Portuguese forward winning the League Cup and the FA Cup in the same season under Jurgen Klopp.

Jota also has the UCL runner-up medal in his cabinet after losing to Real Madrid in the final of the 2022 UEFA Champions League.

Jota loves to score goals, and his 122 goals in 352 appearances in his club career speak volumes about his eyes for goals. Jota has scored 54 goals for Liverpool in 139 appearances and will score even more, considering his long-term contract at the club.

Diogo Jota | Net Worth and Health

Celebrity Net Worth estimates Diogo Jota’s net worth to be $18 million. He has an estimated career earning of £28.6 million since he started playing in England, most of which has come from his improved contract at Liverpool. According to Spotrac, Jota is on a yearly salary of £7,280,000 since signing a new contract at the club in the 2022/23 season.

Jota is currently injury-free and is one of Liverpool’s main men, as Mohamed Salah has been out injured.

Diogo Jota | Cars and Tattoos

If Jota has any love for exotic cars, he has done well to keep it as low-profile as possible because his social media activities suggest he’s just a regular man who tries to live as normally as possible.

Jota also has no tattoos on his body, making him one of the few Portuguese players without tattoos, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Dalot.

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