The stars of Portugal gathered for the first time since the tragic death of their teammate Diogo Gota, Liverpool star, and his brother in a car accident in early July.

The Portuguese Football Federation unveiled a bronze sculpture of Gota’s national team jersey in front of captain Cristiano Ronaldo, currently a winger for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and his teammates. Gota’s wife, Ruth Cardoso, and his parents attended the event in Lisbon, deeply moved along with his friends and teammates.

Al Hilal star Neves, who played with Gota at Porto and Wolverhampton and will wear his number 21 jersey for the national team, delivered a speech on the occasion and revealed a tattoo on his left calf showing him embracing his late friend.

A picture of Gota and a video showing Neves reading a handwritten letter from his friend were displayed on the hall’s screen. Neves tearfully said in his speech: “Everyone in the national team feels these words deeply, and we all speak on behalf of the group. I believe the words perfectly match the nature of our first meeting with him, and we tell him we are more than friends, we are one family, and this will not change just because you signed a contract far from home. When we join the national team, you will remain with us at the dining table, on the bus, and on the plane, always beside us as you always were. We will continue to laugh, plan, and share our daily details as we always did, and we will make sure you never disappear from our lives.

We will ensure your loved ones get everything they need while you are away thinking of us and waiting for us. Life brought us together, and nothing breaks this bond. We achieved a lot together, and there is more ahead of us, and we are confident we will achieve it. Starting today, you will enter the field with us, and we will continue to progress together where we started.”

Gota’s last match with the national team was on June 8, when Portugal won the UEFA Nations League title against Spain.