Diogo Jota’s Final Hours: The Mysterious €47,000, Encrypted Message, Hidden USB, and Camcorder Confession

On July 2, 2025, Diogo Jota, the revered Liverpool and Portugal forward, withdrew €47,000 in cash from a Porto bank, as captured on CCTV, placing a cloth-wrapped object into the glove compartment of his acid green Lamborghini Huracan. Five minutes before his phone went offline, he sent a 27-second encrypted audio message to an unknown woman. After his tragic death with his brother André Silva in a car crash on July 3, 2025, his widow, Rute Cardoso, discovered a hidden USB stick in his sneaker, containing a password-protected folder titled “If You Find This.” Now, an exclusive revelation deepens the mystery: inside Jota’s locked drawer, Rute found an old camcorder with a final video of Jota confessing to “three things I never said aloud… and one I never should have done.” These clues—the cash, message, USB, and confession—intensify the enigma surrounding his final hours. This article explores these events and the lingering questions.

A Rising Star’s Untimely End

Diogo Jota, born in Porto in 1996, was a football icon known for his skill and charisma. From Paços de Ferreira to Atletico Madrid, Porto, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, he joined Liverpool FC in 2020 for £41 million, scoring 65 goals in 182 appearances and helping win the Premier League, FA Cup, and two EFL Cups. With 49 caps for Portugal, he contributed to UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025. His brother André Silva, 25, played for Penafiel in Portugal’s second division. On July 3, 2025, their Lamborghini crashed on the A-52 motorway in Zamora, Spain, bursting into flames after a suspected tyre blowout, just 11 days after Jota’s wedding to Rute Cardoso. Tributes from Cristiano Ronaldo, Jürgen Klopp, and Prince William followed.

The €47,000 Withdrawal: A Curious Detail

Jota’s €47,000 cash withdrawal on July 2, 2025, remains puzzling. CCTV footage shows him at a Porto bank, placing a cloth-wrapped object—possibly the cash—into his Lamborghini’s glove compartment. The specific amount fuels speculation: was it for a purchase, debt, or another purpose? Jota and André were en route to Santander for a UK ferry, advised against flying due to Jota’s recent lung surgery. The cash’s role remains unclear.

The Encrypted Audio Message: An Unknown Recipient

Five minutes before his phone went offline, likely at the crash, Jota sent a 27-second encrypted audio message to a woman unknown to his family, teammates, or wife. The recipient’s identity is undisclosed, and the encryption prevents access, sparking theories about its content—a farewell, warning, or routine note? Discussions on X range from a secret contact to a possible mistake, but no verified details exist. The phone, likely destroyed, offers little hope of recovering the message without a decryption key.

The Hidden USB: A Cryptic Clue

Rute Cardoso found a black USB stick hidden in the heel of Jota’s favorite sneakers, containing a password-protected folder titled “If You Find This.” The folder’s contents are inaccessible, and authorities have not reported progress on cracking it. The title suggests Jota anticipated its discovery posthumously, possibly linking to the cash or message. Its concealment in such an unusual spot implies deliberate secrecy, deepening the mystery.

The Camcorder Confession: A Haunting Revelation

The latest discovery, exclusively reported, is a camcorder found in Jota’s locked drawer by Rute. The device contained a single video of Jota, visibly emotional, confessing to “three things I never said aloud… and one I never should have done.” The video’s contents remain private, as Rute has not shared details, and authorities have not commented. The cryptic phrasing suggests personal regrets or secrets, possibly tied to the cash, message, or USB. Was the confession meant for Rute, the unknown woman, or someone else? The locked drawer’s secrecy and the video’s emotional weight add a haunting layer to Jota’s final days.

Conflicting Accounts of the Crash

The crash’s cause is under investigation. The Guardia Civil in Zamora suggested Jota was driving, possibly speeding, based on 100-meter tyre marks, with a blowout causing the crash. Lorry drivers José Aleixo Duarte and José Azevedo claimed the car moved at a “moderate speed,” blaming the A-52’s poor condition—dark, poorly maintained, with a history of 15,000 speeding fines in 2020. Azevedo, who filmed the wreckage, said rescue efforts failed. Expert Javier Lopez Delgado cites speed and road faults as factors. The investigation, pending in Puebla de Sanabria, may clarify these conflicts.

The Cloth-Wrapped Object: What Was It?

The cloth-wrapped object in the glove compartment remains unidentified. Assumed by some to be the €47,000, its size and shape are unclear in the footage, and the car’s destruction hinders recovery. Theories range from a planned transaction to unfounded illicit claims. Jota’s £140,000 weekly earnings and family life with Rute and their three children—Dinis, Duarte, and an infant daughter—suggest stability, making the withdrawal’s purpose enigmatic.

Tributes and Legacy

The football world mourns Jota and André. Liverpool FC expressed devastation, with fans leaving tributes at Anfield, including “Diogo lives forever.” A minute’s silence marked the UEFA Women’s Euros, with condolences from LeBron James and Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro. Liverpool may retire Jota’s number 20 shirt. The brothers’ funeral in Gondomar on July 5, 2025, drew hundreds, including Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson. Conor Coady called Jota “an amazing husband, father, and footballer,” while Arne Slot vowed to honor his legacy.

Unanswered Questions

The €47,000, encrypted message, hidden USB, and camcorder confession weave a complex mystery. Are they connected? Do the “three things” and “one I never should have done” relate to the cash, the unknown woman, or the USB’s contents? Misinformation, including debunked crash videos, has spread, as noted by Full Fact. As investigations continue, Jota’s death, alongside André’s, remains a profound loss. His legacy as a player, husband, father, and brother endures, cherished by those he inspired.