The Civil Guard said a vehicle veered off a motorway in the municipality of Cernadilla in the northwestern province of Zamora, confirming the deaths of Jota and his brother, Andre Felipe.
The regional fire department of Castile-Leon, where Zamora is located, said on its website that a car crashed shortly after midnight on Thursday and burst into flames, with two men, aged 28 and 26, found dead.
Jota, who got married last month, helped Liverpool win the Premier League last season and also won the FA Cup and League Cup with the Merseyside outfit.
In Liverpool’s 5-1 come-from-behind win against West Ham in the EFL Cup on Sep 26, Jota celebrated scoring the equaliser by tucking the ball under his shirt, a gesture done to announce a baby on the way.
His third child with wife Rute Cardoso was born in November 2024.
Jota arrived at Anfield from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 and scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club in all competitions.
He also made 49 appearances for Portugal, twice winning the UEFA Nations League.
