Ronaldo & Neymar Castigated For Absence At Pele’s Funeral
The remains of late Brazilian soccer legend Pele were buried at Necropole Ecumenica Memorial Cemetery on Tuesday at the end of his funeral procession in Santos, where he became famous at age 15 playing for Santos FC.
Questions have been raised by fans on why some Brazilian soccer legends weren’t there.
“Where’s Ronaldo Nazario? Where’s Kaká, where’s Neymar?” asked Claudionor Alves, 67, who works at a bakery next to the stadium. “Do they think they will be remembered like Pelé will? These guys didn’t want to stop their vacations, that’s the problem.”
However, respects were paid from various prominents including newly elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Mass funeral was held at Vila Belmiro stadium where Pele played most of his career.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino suggested every country should name a stadium after Pelé.
“I am here with a lot of emotion, sadness, but also with a smile because he gave us so many smiles,” Infantino said.
“As FIFA, we will pay a tribute to the ‘King’ and we ask the whole world to observe a minute of silence.”
Pelé died last week at age 82 after Pelé undergoing treatment for colon cancer since 2021.
The medical center where he had been hospitalized said he died of multiple organ failure as a result of the cancer.
Pelé was perhaps the world’s most famous athlete in the 1960s and 1970s .
He led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and remains one of the team’s all-time leading scorers with 77 goals.
Neymar tied Pelé’s record during this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
