In an explosive twist to the already tangled aftermath of Diogo Jota’s death, a handwritten letter has surfaced — revealing the late football star had been secretly sponsoring a child in Portugal for more than six years. But the most staggering revelation? The boy’s mother is now under investigation for her alleged role in the chain of events leading to Jota’s fatal accident.
The Letter That Changed Everything
The letter, leaked late last night to The Daily Mirror by a family insider, was found hidden in a sealed envelope inside Jota’s personal desk in Porto. Written in Portuguese and dated just eight months before his death, the message outlines monthly bank transfers, private visits, and his wish to “secure the boy’s education until he turns 18 — no matter what happens to me.”
At the bottom of the page, a name appears in bold ink: Sofia Almeida, a woman in her late 30s from Setúbal — and, as police have now confirmed, the registered owner of a vehicle seen following Jota’s car on the night of his crash.
Wife Discovers the Truth
Sources say Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, only learned the truth after being shown bank statements and the sponsorship letter by investigators. She reportedly broke down when detectives revealed that Sofia’s phone records placed her near the rural forest road where Jota’s GPS was mysteriously switched off 30 minutes before the crash.
“She thought the child was part of a charity programme,” one friend told reporters. “She never imagined her husband had a personal, secret connection — let alone that the mother could be tied to his death.”
The Evidence Mounts
Investigators have now linked several critical pieces of evidence to Sofia Almeida, including:
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Financial trail — monthly payments from Jota’s personal account to an unregistered bank account under Sofia’s name.
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Traffic camera footage — showing Sofia’s grey hatchback tailing Jota’s SUV on the night of the crash.
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Intercepted messages — in which Jota allegedly told her, “We can’t meet in public anymore. Too risky.”
Authorities are treating Sofia as a “person of interest” but have not yet confirmed whether she will face criminal charges.
A Devastated Family, A Growing Mystery
The Jota family is now split between grief and suspicion. His parents are reportedly demanding answers as to why they were kept in the dark, while Rute has moved out of the marital home and into a secure location provided by friends.
Meanwhile, football fans have flooded social media with theories, with hashtags #JotaChildSecret and #SofiaConnection dominating trending lists in both Portugal and the UK.
