Aizawl's 'Liverpool FC Store' shuts to mourn Diogo Jota's demise? Image viral on Mizo social media

When news of footballer Diogo Jota's demise broke, a store in a peripheral settlement of Aizawl, Mizoram, closed for the day. An image of four mourners sitting in front of the shut store, with black flags hung above, has gone viral on the internet. Interestingly, the name of the small business was inspired by Jota's club — "Liverpool FC Store."

 

Four senior citizens were seen seated in front of the closed shop. According to the social media handles that shared the image, the "Liverpool FC Store" is located in the Ramhlun Venglai area of Aizawl. Ramhlun is the name of the locality, while Venglai signifies the eastern part of the region. Google Maps confirms the presence of a small commercial alley named Ramhlun Venglai in the northeastern state. However, THE WEEK couldn't independently spot the store or verify the image. 

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Mizoram and Manipur are football hotbeds in India, much like West Bengal and Kerala. Despite being ranked 30th out of 36 Indian states and Union territories in terms of population, Mizoram contributes 13.41% of the players in the top two divisions and national men’s teams. According to a study on Indian football, Manipuri footballers have accumulated the highest playing time — totaling more than 3.98 lakh minutes. Footballers from Mizoram come second, with over 3.03 lakh minutes. The state, ranked 25th in population, contributes 17.58% of all professional footballers in India.

 

The Mizoram government acknowledges the state’s strong football culture and potential. The Mizoram Football Association (MFA) and Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) jointly organise the Naupang League, a grassroots football initiative. In its first season, over 1,500 children (U-5 to U-13) competed across the districts of Aizawl, Kolasib, Lunglei, and Champhai for seven months. ISL and I-League scouts monitor the Mizoram Premier League and the First Division (tier 2). The government allocates a significant portion of its sports budget to football, with plans to enhance infrastructure through PSUs and private companies.

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Diogo Jota, 28, died in a car crash in Spain’s Zamora while en route to catch a ferry to England. His brother, Andre Silva (26), also died in the incident, which occurred around 12:30 AM local time on July 3. Jota joined Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020. The Portuguese forward made 182 appearances for the Reds, scoring 65 goals and providing 26 assists. The former FC Porto striker won three major titles with Liverpool during his time at Anfield: the Premier League title (2024–25), FA Cup title (2021–22), and League Cup title (2021–22).

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