July 1 (Reuters) - When Portugal walk on to the pitch to face Croatia in the World Cup round of 32 on Thursday in Toronto, the date will still be July 2 in Canada.
Back home, however, it will already be July 3, a day that carries a weight beyond football.
Exactly a year will have passed since the death of Diogo Jota, the Portugal and Liverpool forward whose skill, eye for goal and devotion to the national team made him one of their most beloved players. Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in northwestern Spain when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames.
The anniversary is certain to stir emotions among teammates, supporters and staff who have spent the past month ensuring his memory has remained a visible part of their campaign with commemorations woven into their World Cup journey.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, who has described Jota as "our light", named him anhonorary member of his World Cup squad.
Jota's close friend Ruben Neves,the Portugal midfielder, wears Jota's number 21. The country's Prime Minister Luís Montenegro gifted the players wristbands bearing Jota's name.
His parents Isabel and Joaquim Silva wiped away tears in the stands during an emotional tribute ahead of Portugal's opening World Cup match against DR Congo in Houston.
"So many (motivations to win the match), and there's yet this additional factor, this special day, we have all the motivation, for our families, for Diogo Jota, for the whole country, for the whole of Portugal," defender Vitinha said on Wednesday.
EMOTIONAL ROBERTSON
Jota's loss was also felt in Scotland's World Cup squad, after an emotional captain Andy Robertson's thoughts had immediately gone to his late Liverpool teammate and good friend when the Scots clinched their spot in the finals back in November.
Jota's widow Rute Cardoso wrote to Robertson when the tournament started.
"When you step on to the pitch, Diogo will be with you in your thoughts, in your steps, in your heart. Thank you for not forgetting him. Thank you for taking him with you. Thank you for turning the pain of loss into strength and into something so beautiful," she wrote.
The timing of Thursday's match adds another layer of emotion. As the game kicks off in Toronto, the clock will tick past midnight in Portugal, marking an event that stunned the nation and sent shockwaves through football.
For many of Portugal's players, Jota was more than a teammate. He was part of a generation that helped keep the country among football's elite, a trusted figure in the dressing room who delivered crucial goals and moments.
Jota scored 14 goals in 49 appearances for Portugal and, having missed the 2018 World Cup due to a calf injury, would almost certainly have been in the squad in North America this year.
While the passage of time has done little to soften the pain, football, inevitably, moves on.
"Diogo Jota was a player that was very loved by the Portuguese people," said Miguel De Silva, the Portuguese-Canadian owner of Amigos da Dundas Sports Bar in Toronto's Little Portugal neighbourhood."I think it's going to be something else that he's going to give to the Portuguese players. One more reason for them to win the game."
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; additional reporting by Nicole Fernandes, Bhargav Acharya, Divya Acharya, editing by Ed Osmond)
