One year on from the tragedy that shook football to its core, Liverpool have given Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva something that no trophy cabinet ever could — a permanent place at Anfield.
The club unveiled 'Forever 20' on 97 Avenue, a sculpture by artist Emma Rodgers that will stand as long as the stadium itself. It arrives on the eve of the first anniversary of July 3, 2025, the day Jota and Silva were killed in a car accident in the Spanish province of Zamora.
What the memorial actually looks like
The centrepiece is a flowing heart sculpture — Jota's signature goal celebration rendered in physical form — mounted above a Granby Rock-faced stone plinth. The brothers' shirt numbers, 20 and 30, are engraved into it, alongside the lyrics to Jota's famous terrace song: "He will take us to victory. Oh, his name is Diogo."
Both brothers' names, YNWA, and the title 'Forever 20' are set into the plinth below. Then there are the details that elevate it beyond the standard bronze-and-granite memorial. Sections of scarves and shirts left by supporters are set in wax. A single flower, once left at a makeshift shrine by an anonymous fan, has been cast in bronze. A PlayStation controller — a nod to Jota's iconic celebration — sits on the plinth too.
These aren't decorative choices. They're remnants of real grief, physically embedded into the structure. The club confirmed that tributes left by fans from across the world were incorporated into the sculpture through a unique manufacturing process, making them literally part of it forever.
The club's words, and what they mean
Liverpool's statement described the memorial as "a permanent symbol of love, unity and remembrance, and a place where everyone can reflect, remember and pay their respects." That's the kind of language clubs reach for in moments like this — but here it doesn't feel hollow.
Liverpool retired the number 20 before the 2025-26 season began. That decision, followed now by this, makes the intent clear: Jota isn't being quietly folded into club history. He's being kept visible, kept present, at the ground where he spent five seasons and became genuinely beloved.
The back of the sculpture reads: "This memorial honors the brothers' lives and celebrates their lasting legacy." A year after the football world stopped to mourn together, Anfield now has somewhere to go and do exactly that.
