The soccer star had reportedly opted to take the longer route because he’d been advised by doctors not to get on a plane while recovering from a lung-related surgery.

Jota, the Liverpool forward who in May celebrated winning the Premier League title, has died. He was 28. Police said Jota died along with his brother Andre Silva, also a soccer player, in a car accident near the northwestern city of Zamora, Spain.

Superstar athletes Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James took to social media Thursday to pay their respects to Liverpool soccer star Diogo Jota following his death.