Cristiano Ronaldo Pays Tribute to Diogo Jota, Calls It a 'Coincidence of Life'

Cristiano Ronaldo described it as a "coincidence of life" that Portugal's 2-1 World Cup round-of-32 victory over Croatia on Thursday came almost exactly a year after the death of his former teammate Diogo Jota.

Following the dramatic win, which secured Portugal's place in the last 16, Ronaldo and his teammates posed with Jota's number 21 shirt in tribute. Ronaldo also wore the number 21 jersey while giving post-match interviews.

"The coincidence of life, it's unbelievable," Ronaldo said. "We knew it before the game. It was a very special moment. We spoke about it today as a group—the coincidence of life. It's unbelievable."

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said the victory carried added emotional significance.

"For Portuguese fans, this is a very happy day because we've reached the next stage, the round of 16. It also has special meaning because, in this year, we honored Diogo Jota," Martinez said.

Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a car crash in Spain on July 3 last year while the Liverpool forward was travelling back to England for pre-season training.

Earlier in the tournament, Portugal paid tribute to Jota before its opening match against the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a black-and-white photograph of the late forward displayed on the giant screen at the stadium in Houston.