Diogo Jota was on his way to take a ferry and return to Liverpool for pre-season training when he died in a car accident, BBC Sport has been told.
The Portugal forward, who was 28, had undergone minor surgery so doctors had advised him against flying.
As a result, he was planning to return to Liverpool for the start of pre-season, due to begin on Monday, by boat.
This is understood to mean he was travelling by car from Porto to take a ferry from Santander in northern Spain.
There are ferry routes from Santander to Plymouth and Portsmouth in the south of England.
Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, crashed in the Spanish province of Zamora and died.
The Guardia Civil has told BBC Sport that both men died at about 00:30 local time on Thursday following a tyre blowout that occurred while overtaking another vehicle.
Zamora, close to the Portuguese border, is about 190 miles from Porto, and a similar distance from the port.
It is understood Jota had also travelled by road and sea to get to Porto for his wedding 11 days ago to his long-term partner, Rute.
The couple had three children together.
Jota scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for Liverpool, helping them win the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022 and the Premier League title last season.
He had previously played for Pacos de Ferreira, Atletico Madrid, Porto and Wolves – for whom he netted 44 goals in 131 games.
Jota’s final match was for Portugal in their Uefa Nations League final win against Spain. He scored 14 goals in 49 internationals.
Jota’s brother who died in the crash was also a professional footballer – for Portuguese second-tier club Penafiel.
By BBC Sports
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