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Liverpool Football Club has announced it will retire Diogo Jota’s No. 20 shirt – an unprecedented gesture to honour the forward’s enduring legacy at the club.
The number 20 shirt, worn by the Portuguese international, has come to symbolise more than just his identity – it also coincides with Liverpool’s historic 20th league title.
Jota, 28, tragically passed away on July 3 alongside his brother, André Silva, in a car accident in Spain. Following the news, fans rallied in grief, urging the club to honour his memory.
Liverpool responded to the emotional outpouring, confirming that the No. 20 shirt will be permanently retired, marking the first time in the club’s history a shirt number will no longer be worn. Other clubs have taken similar steps in the past, such as Manchester City retiring Marc-Vivien Foé’s No. 23 after his death.
Jota played a key role in Liverpool’s 2024–25 title-winning season, sealing a crucial win in the Merseyside derby against Everton with what would become the final goal of his life.
“To arrive at this particular season with the title I’ve been chasing for a lot of years, and in the best league in the world – for me where I dreamed to play as a kid –it’s a moment I will cherish forever,” Jota said following the title win. “It is a remarkable achievement for a small guy that came from Gondomar, where I had this dream. To arrive at this moment was outstanding.”
While the club has made clear its intention to honour the number symbolically, it remains to be seen whether the retirement will be formalised in Premier League records. Regardless, fans continue to insist that the shirt should never be worn again.
“The fact that he died as a Liverpool player, and also on the way to the UK to show up for pre-season, hurts even more. Forever a Liverpool legend,” one fan wrote on social media. “It’s not like he died as a retiree. Died as a player. No. 20 could never be for someone else again.”
Another added: “I don’t really think any player would want to wear the shirt out of respect.”
