In a moment that instantly shattered millions of hearts across the football world, Rute Cardoso – the grieving widow of Liverpool legend Diogo Jota – stopped in her tracks during the Porto Marathon to wrap her arms around a runner honoring her late husband in the most emotional way possible.

Bruno Duarte, a childhood friend and former youth teammate of Jota, pounded the streets of Porto wearing Liverpool’s famous red jersey with “JOTA 20” proudly emblazoned on the back – the number the club retired forever after the Portuguese star’s tragic death just four months ago.

As Duarte approached a cheering section near the route, there stood Rute. The two locked eyes. Time froze. Then came the hug – long, raw, and wordless – as strangers around them wiped away tears and phones captured what will go down as one of the most poignant tributes in sporting history.

“He was running for Diogo,” Rute later wrote on social media alongside the now-viral video. “Thank you, Bruno. Forever 20.”

The embrace lasted seconds but carried the weight of unimaginable loss. Jota, just 28, had been taken far too soon in a horrific car crash in July 2025 alongside his brother André Silva – only 11 days after marrying his childhood sweetheart Rute in a fairytale ceremony. The couple left behind three young children.

Since that dark day, tributes have poured in from every corner of the planet. Liverpool retired the No. 20 shirt at every level of the club after consulting Rute and the family – the first time in Anfield’s storied history such an honor has been given. Portugal passed Jota’s international No. 21 to his best friend Rúben Neves. Murals sprang up in Gondomar and Merseyside. Even PlayStation controllers – a nod to Jota’s famous gaming passion – were laid at memorials.

But nothing has hit quite like this marathon moment.

Duarte, sweating and emotional mid-race, didn’t just wear the shirt. He carried it. Every step a reminder. Every kilometer a promise that Jota’s spirit lives on.

Fans who witnessed it live described the scene as “pure love in motion.” One spectator posted: “I’ve never cried at a marathon before. Today I sobbed.”

The video has already racked up tens of millions of views, with comments flooded by broken-heart and red-heart emojis from Liverpool supporters, Wolves fans (where Jota first exploded onto the Premier League scene), and the entire Portuguese nation.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who played alongside Jota for Portugal, simply reposted the clip with the caption: “This is family. Forever.”

As the football world prepares for another round of fixtures this weekend, one thing is clearer than ever: Diogo Jota may be gone, but he is nowhere near forgotten.

You’ll Never Walk Alone has never felt more true.

And somewhere, high above the Douro River, a certain No. 20 is smiling down on a hug that said everything words never could. ❤️🕊️