'He was there with me' - Trent Alexander-Arnold pays touching tribute to Diogo Jota after Real Madrid's Club World Cup win over Borussia Dortmund

Gonzalo Garcia, Fran Garcia and Kylian Mbappe were on target for Los Blancos as they clinched a five-goal thriller against Dortmund to seal a place in the last-four stage of the Club World Cup. After the match, Alexander-Arnold paid a heartwarming tribute to Jota, while claiming that he faced immense difficulty in concentrating on the game.

Speaking to DAZN, the English full-back said: "I had to try to perform for the team and help them win the game, no matter how difficult it was. As hard as it was to do it, I had to push myself to focus on what my job and role was. I tried to do it as best as I could, but it was difficult and I am not going to lie about that.

"[Jota] was one of my close friends - and I am sure that's what he would have wanted me to do. I'm sure we would have had a laugh and joke about the assist as well. He was there with me, I am sure. I shared the dressing room with him for five years - amazing memories on and off the pitch. It goes without saying he will never be forgotten by anyone. He will live long in all our memories for the amazing man and the player he was."

He added: "I've been around him, his brother, his family, his amazing wife, his amazing parents and his amazing children. It's truly, truly heartbreaking to wake up to news like that. It's something you never expect."

The Liverpool and Portugal forward Jota and his sibling were involved in a tragic accident shortly after midnight on the morning of July 3, 2025. The Lamborghini they were travelling in is said to have suffered a tyre blowout, leading to it careering off the road and ultimately bursting into flames.

Xabi Alonso's side will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semi-final.