Trent Alexander Arnold’s heartfelt tribute amid Vinicius racism row

 The Benfica-Real Madrid Champions League clash will be remembered as the game where Vinicius accused Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a racial slur. That moment will go down in history. But it wasn’t the only story on the pitch. Other curious details, though far less headline-grabbing, also caught the eye during the match.

TAA’s quiet tribute amid the chaos

One such moment involved Trent Alexander-Arnold’s boots - or more precisely, a small detail on them. The Liverpool defender paid homage to his late teammate Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away last summer in a car accident.

Alexander-Arnold took to the field wearing boots inscribed with the number 20, which Jota wore, and the infinity symbol, a moving tribute to one of his closest friends at Liverpool.

Diogo Jota’s tragic death

Jota died aged just 28 on July 3, 2025 when his Lamborghini Huracán suffered a tyre blowout, veered off the road and caught fire in Spain. Jota’s brother, André Silva, was also killed in the crash.

Alexander-Arnold, who came through the Liverpool academy, and Jota played together for five seasons between 2020 and 2025. They won the Premier League together in 2024-25, as well as the FA Cup and EFL Cup in 2021-22.