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Not once did her gaze leave her husband's casket, though at times it seemed she might buckle and succumb to the paralysing agony of it all.
Some among the crowd lowered their heads as the procession passed. Mostly out of respect. But also because it felt somehow indecent to bear close witness to this woman's torturous suffering.
Only two weeks ago, Rute Cardoso and Liverpool's Diogo Jota, both 28, exchanged wedding vows before family and friends. No more perfect celebration of their happiness, they said, could be devised. Diogo declared himself supremely lucky.
Now Rute, dressed in white, was helping to carry the man with the magical feet and joyful heart to his grave.
He was killed along with his brother Andre Silva, 25, after the Lamborghini they were travelling in crashed and burst into flames on a Spanish highway in the early hours of Thursday morning.
At the end of their joint funeral service, Schubert's Ave Maria, which was played at Jota's wedding, drifted from the small baroque church in Gondomar, near Porto, northern Portugal.
A deep bell began slowly tolling. Supported by her sister, Rute's fingers clung to the underside of her husband's coffin as it was carried across the courtyard. When it seemed she might falter, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead fleetingly on the casket lid, wet from her tears.
Family and friends, including footballers who flew in from all corners of the globe, had gathered in the 17th-century Igreja Matriz church and heard the Bishop of Porto, D. Manuel Linda, send a message to the couple's three children – sons Dinis, four, Duarte, two, and eight-month-old baby daughter Mafalda.
Rute Cardoso helps as pallbearers carry a coffin, at the funeral ceremony of her late husband Liverpool's Portuguese soccer player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva
Two weeks ago, Rute and Liverpool's Jota, both 28, (pictured with their children) exchanged wedding vows before family and friends
Family and friends gathered for the funeral service held at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in the town of Gondomar near Porto
The grieving wife of Liverpool footballer Jota arrived in his Portuguese hometown ahead of his funeral later today
The coffins of Jota And Silva were carried by family, former teammates and friends into the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar where the funeral was held
The bishop said: 'At this moment you are suffering immensely or perhaps not because you do not realise it. The ones who suffer a lot are your mother and your grandparents.
'Seeing the mortal remains of a child must be a greater torment, but when there are two urns there are no words...
'If it is difficult to see an adult cry, it is even more difficult to see a child cry. I send you a special greeting for your mother and grandparents.'
Like Rute, Jota's parents, Joaquim and Isabel Silva, were still basking in the wedding afterglow when they got the news that their two sons had died.
'That poor couple. Only because of the grandchildren will they find the strength to carry on,' said a family friend, expressing the sentiments of many.
Both coffins were carried through the front doors of the church to the sound of violins and applause in a procession led by two priests at 10am.
Jota's Liverpool team-mates flew in overnight. They included Virgil van Dijk, the club's captain, and Andrew Robertson, who carried red wreaths in the shape of football shirts emblazoned with Jota's number 20 and his brother's number 30. Former Liverpool players, including Jordan Henderson and James Milner, were also present.
Jota and his brother were 190 miles into a trip from Porto to Santander, where he planned to take a ferry to England, when they crashed in the Spanish province of Zamora.
Rute walked alongside pallbearers and other mourners, dressed in all white and carrying her husband's coffin
Rute rested her head on the coffin of her late husband as it was carried to the church
Maria Rodrigues, wife of Silva, was in floods of tears as she walked behind her husband's coffin along with pall bearers and family and friends
Joaquim Silva, grandfather of Jota and Silva was supported by family members as he made his way tot he church following behind his grandsons's coffins
Joaquim Silva, father of Jota and Silva, consoled his wife Isabel Silva, as the family arrived in procession at the funeral
Rute was consoled by friends and family who held her up as she walked behind the coffin clutching an order of service
Jota's wife Rute placed her hand on the coffin of her late husband as it was taken inside the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar
A poster of Andre Silva was carried as the coffins are walked to the Church ahead of the funeral for him and his brother Diogo Jota
Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool's Andrew Robertson paid their respects, carrying bouquets of flowers on the day of the funeral ceremony
Jota's teammates attended the funeral of the football stare with many visibly emotional
Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk, defender Joe Gomez and defender Andy Robertson left the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar following Jota and Andre's funeral service
Van Dijk was visibly emotional as he hid his eyes behind dark sunglasses and sobbed in to a tissue
Former Liverpool Captain Jordan Henderson wiped tears as he paid his respects to his former team mate
Liverpool FC head coach Arne Slot was one of the mourners at the packed funeral service which was so well attended, those grieving were forced to stand outside
Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves arriving at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva in the town of Gondomar
Diogo Jota and Andre Silva's grandfather arriving for the funeral of late Portugal's players on Saturday
Former Portugal national team coach Fernando Santos (left) arriving at the Chapel of the Igrega Matriz de Gondomar on the day of the funeral ceremony of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva
Manchester City defender Ruben Dias arrives at the funeral of his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota in the town of Gondomar near Porto
Dias wore all black as he carried a bouquet of flowers inside the church ahead of the ceremony
Portuguese Minister of Sports Margarida Balseiro Lopes (centre) arriving for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, in Gondomar
Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk and Andy Robertson arriving at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva
Many of Jota's Portugal team-mates also attended, including Ruben Neves, who flew in after playing for his club Al Hilal in their Club World Cup match against Fluminense in Orlando, US, to be a pallbearer.
The church was so packed with mourners that about a hundred guests had to listen to the service while milling around outside. One couple clung to each other for its entire duration.
Thousands of the town's residents, many wearing Liverpool or Portugal colours, gathered on all sides of the church grounds to hear the eulogies before the brothers were laid to rest in the Sao Cosme cemetery a short walk away.
Their bodies were buried, not cremated, in a graveyard screened by olive trees. Jota's team-mates from his former club Wolves, including Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio, joined club officials to pay their respects. Jota joined the West Midlands club in 2017 before leaving for Liverpool in 2020.
They were spotted escorting a Wolves-themed wreath which read: 'Diogo your desire to fight and win lit up Molineux.'
The one-hour service ended with the couple's wedding singer performing Ave Maria.
Alexandra Quinta e Costa sang the emotional piece before the coffins were carried away to the Sao Cosme cemetery nearby.
Costa had performed at Jota and his wife Rute's wedding just 11 days earlier as part of the Lapa Polyphonic Choir.
Santos, who managed the Portuguese football team between 2014 and 2022, arriving at the Igrega Matriz de Gondomar on Saturday
Portuguese player Nelson Semedo, who also played alongside Jota during his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, arriving for the funeral of the late footballer and his brother
Diogo Jota's agent Jorge Mendes arriving for the funeral of the Liverpool footballer at the Chapel of the Resurrection, in Gondomar
President of FC Porto Andre Villas Boas (second from the left) attending the funeral of late Portugal's player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, in Gondomar
Relatives followed the coffin of Portuguese football player Diogo Jota carried out of the church after a joint funeral for him and his brother Andre
Mourners wore Diogo Jota shirts and paid tribute at Anfield Stadium following his tragic death
Tributes piled up outside Anfield Stadium as Liverpool fans paid an emotional farewell to Jota at the forward's funeral in Portugal
The mother-of-three was seen hugging well wishers as she exited her car near the Chapel of the Resurrection
Mourners left the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva held at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in the town of Gondomar
Tributes included wreaths spelling out his name, Liverpool scarfs, flags and tops
Fans attended the funeral of late Portugal's player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, in Gondomar
Mourners gathered outside the Chapel of the Resurrection, on the day of Jota and his brother Andre's funeral ceremony
People took part in a funeral procession of Portuguese footballers and brothers Diogo Jota and Andre Silva in Gondomar
Mourners at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva make their way into the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in the town of Gondoma to start the funeral service
Floral tributes bearing the shirt numbers of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva were placed on their graves in a cemetery in Gondomar
Mourners gather at the graves of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in Gondomar
In an Instagram post the singer shared an emotional tribute alongside the couple's wedding photo and a black and white picture of Jota and Silva.
She wrote: '15 days ago I sang on one of the happiest days of your lives. Today sang at your farewell. What a world we live in. Sincere condolences to the whole family at this time of such a painful loss.'
Speaking after the service, Roberto Martinez, the Portugal manager, was emotional as he told of his sadness over the tragedy. He said: 'I can only say that these are very, very sad days.
'Today was a demonstration for Diogo and Andre that we are all together and that we are Portugal.
'Now, I would like to thank everyone for their presence, for all the messages from all over the world. We are with Andre Silva and Diogo Jota. Always, always with us.'
