No player from the penta and the current selection went to Pelé’s wake

Pelé’s wake, which ended at 10 am this Tuesday (3) and was attended by fans of the King of football throughout 24 hours, was marked by absences: other sports idols did not go to Vila Belmiro to say goodbye.

Stars like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Rivaldo and Cafu were not. Of the world champions in 1994 and 2002, only Mauro Silva, four-time champion, was present — he is vice-president of the FPF (Federação Paulista de Futebol).

Captain of the fifth, Cafu justified his absence in a video sent to the SporTV channel. “Unfortunately, due to work, I was unable to anticipate my flight. I will not be with the family at this very important moment in Brazil, but in our hearts and minds we are embracing them”, he said.

Marcos, goalkeeper of the penta, published on social networks saying that Pelé “will be eternal” and that, “to say a prayer, I don’t need to appear” . “I went to the wake of my parents, the Kings of this land for me, no one here from the networks went. […] I didn’t ask for homage from anyone, I didn’t judge anyone, I didn’t give an interview, and for me it wasn’t a show. I even understand you charging me for what Pelé represents, which will be eternal, but for Edson today, I can only say a prayer and I don’t need to show up for that “, he wrote.

Neymar, number 10 of the Brazilian national team in the Qatar Cup, was represented by his father, who was in Vila Belmiro on Monday (2). Tite, the team’s former coach, wasn’t there either, as well as any other athlete who was at the last World Cup.

Best player in the world in 2007, Kaká went viral on social networks in early December last year, when he stated that in Brazil “sometimes we don’t recognize our talents”. Criticized at the time, he did not attend Pelé’s wake and was once again the target of fans who recovered his speech.

Former midfielder and presenter Neto went to the Santos stadium during the early hours of the morning and criticized the absence of the world champions.

“Perhaps people only go where they earn a fee. If they were world champions and didn’t come to see Pelé, what can I say to them? At the very least, it’s a lack of respect. want”, criticized the former player.

Also present were Paulo Roberto Falcão, former player and current football coordinator at Santos Futebol Clube, Clodoaldo, three-time champion in 1970, and Zé Roberto, former player with Santos and a national team player in the 2006 World Cup.

Between the beginning of the wake, on Monday (2) and the end, at 10 am on Tuesday, more than 230,000 people passed through Vila Belmiro. Among them, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), Minister of the Federal Supreme Court Gilmar Mendes, Governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas (Republicans), the mayor of the capital Ricardo Nunes (MDB), and the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino.

Julio Casares, president of São Paulo, Tarso Gouveia, vice president of Palmeiras and Emilio Butragueño, vice president of Real Madrid, were also present, in addition to Ednaldo Rodrigues, president of CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos, president of the FPF, and Alejandro Domínguez, president of Conmebol.