Why is “You’ll Never walk alone” trending on X? Significance explored as Liverpool fans pay tribute to Diogo Jota

Liverpool FC has been in mourning since Diogo Jota died in a car accident at the age of 28. Amid an outpouring of tributes from around the world, fans of the club have rallied around one of its most beloved symbols of unity: the anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

The anthem has been trending on X, as supporters have used it to pay tribute to Jota’s memory and display their collective grief and support for his family.

Jota, who signed with Liverpool in September 2020, played as a forward for the team. The event was all the more tragic as his younger brother André Silva also died as a result of the same accident.

¡YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE! 🥹❤️

Múltiples aficionados del Liverpool se hacen presentes en las calles aledañas a Anfield Road para rendir tributo y homenajear la vida de Diogo J.

Nunca caminarás solo. 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/4aRTSoJKFR

— FAN10 (@SoyFan10) July 3, 2025

Shock and grief have laid over his teammates, fans, and the footballing community. Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s Portugal teammate, posted an emotional message on social media, offering condolences to the family.

"It doesn't make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just gotten married. To your family, your wife and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world." Ronaldo wrote on his Instagram

Liverpool FC, in a statement published on its website, also said it was “devastating” to learn of the death. In return, fans of Liverpool have been sharing videos of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” being sung at Anfield and reaching out to console and comfort one another with its lyrics online. The anthem has been a cornerstone of the club’s identity for years.

The history behind Liverpool’s anthem as tributes pour in for Diogo Jota

Introduced to Liverpool fans in the early 1960s, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” originally was part of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. The track was picked up in the UK after Liverpool group Gerry and the Pacemakers released it in 1963. According to NBC Sports, the song spent four weeks at number one in the UK.

According to reports, when Liverpool toured the US in 1964, the band's mouthpiece, Gerry Marsden, supposedly presented a copy to team manager Bill Shankly. According to Shankly, it was the perfect song to encapsulate the ethos of the football club. 

Nearly every home game at Anfield has opened with a different rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone" since. The song became even more significant following the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989, where 97 Liverpool supporters died.

According to NBC Sports, it stood as a symbol of strength and of remembrance for the club and its supporters, encapsulating the message that no individual in the Liverpool family can ever be left alone, especially in trying times.

In the wake of Diogo Jota’s death, Liverpool fans have resurrected the anthem as a mass tribute to Jota and his brother. On X, users shared clips of the song being sung at Anfield alongside messages of support for Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, and their three children.