Trent Alexander-Arnold's Heartfelt Message to Diogo Jota Following Stunning Real Madrid Victory
A visibly moved Trent Alexander-Arnold shared that his departed former Liverpool colleague Diogo Jota was "present with me" throughout Real Madrid's Club World Cup quarterfinal triumph against Borussia Dortmund.
Alexander-Arnold had spent five years as teammates with Jota at Liverpool, providing assists for 10 of the Portuguese striker's 65 goals for the Merseyside club before his summer transfer to Real Madrid.
The England defender couldn't make it to Jota's funeral service in Portugal on Saturday since his current team had a match scheduled the same day, nearly 3,500 miles away in New Jersey, yet he competed with his dear friend's memory guiding him.
"I needed to give my best effort for the squad and contribute to securing the victory, regardless of how challenging it felt," Alexander-Arnold shared with DAZN following Madrid's dramatic 3–2 triumph. "Despite how tough it was to manage, I had to force myself to concentrate on my responsibilities and duties. I attempted to execute them to the best of my ability, though it was undeniably difficult and I won't pretend otherwise.
"[Jota] was among my closest companions—and I'm certain that's exactly what he would have expected from me. I'm confident we would have shared some laughter and banter about the assist too. He was present with me, without a doubt."
Alexander-Arnold reflected the feelings expressed by his previous Liverpool teammates, who all praised Jota's distinctive personality alongside his soccer talents. People from every part of the world have kept sharing their personal remembrances.
Club World Cup Tributes for Diogo Jota
Despite the surge of excitement flowing through their bodies after scoring crucial late goals, both Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé maintained enough composure and presence of mind to honor Jota with their celebrations.
Following his spectacular overhead kick that secured Madrid's third and winning goal against Dortmund, Mbappé formed the number 20 with his fingers as a tribute to Jota's Liverpool jersey number. The club declared they would "appropriately commemorate" the striker's shirt number, though the specific details of this tribute remain unclear.
Dembélé replicated the FIFA celebration that Jota was famous for performing after he completed Paris Saint-Germain's incredible 2–0 victory over Bayern Munich. Jota was passionate about the video game, establishing his own esports organization during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
Jota claimed victory in the Premier League's lockdown FIFA tournament in spring 2020 while still playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers. In a touching coincidence, he defeated his future teammate Alexander-Arnold in that final match.