Portugal honour Jota by handing shirt number to close friend Neves
Portugal have named their first squad since Diogo Jota's death, and Ruben Neves will honour his close friend by wearing his shirt number.
Diogo Jota will be remembered by Portugal as Roberto Martinez confirmed Ruben Neves will wear his close friend and former team-mate's No.21 shirt.
Martinez and Portugal are preparing for their first international fixtures since the death of 28-year-old Jota, who was killed alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in northern Spain on July 3.
Midfielder Neves, who played alongside Jota at Wolves and for their country, was one of the pallbearers at his funeral and accompanied his wife to the tributes at Molineux against Manchester City.
Neves will continue to honour Jota by wearing the former Liverpool and Portugal forward's shirt number, Martinez confirmed at Friday's press conference to announce his international squad.
"This is the first working camp without Diogo Jota," Martinez said. "We know what Diogo meant to each of us, the impact he had on our lives. We want to honour his memory every day.
"He will be with us and be another force in achieving our goals. Diogo Jota's example is a light for us. We will carry his spirit in our hearts.
"We will win for Diogo, for his brother Andre, and as always, for all Portuguese people.
"In this new journey to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the number of players is 23 + 1, which is Diogo."
Portugal will hold their first camp without Jota next week as they prepare for World Cup qualifying games against Armenia and Hungary.
Jota's last appearance for Portugal came in their victory over Spain in the Nations League final in June. Neves scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out of that game, in which Jota appeared as a substitute.
"I think Diogo's absence is a sign of unity, motivation, and responsibility, because Diogo wanted to win the World Cup," Martinez added.
"So we're here to fight and do everything we can to achieve our dream. I can also report that Diogo Jota's jersey number, 21, is now being passed on to Ruben Neves, and so it remains with all of us on the pitch."
Martinez's squad also included 40-year-old star Cristiano Ronaldo and his new Al-Nassr team-mate Joao Felix.
