Brazilian national football team stars skip Pelé’s funeral

Pelé, the biggest footballer ever, was buried in Santos on Tuesday. His wake lasted nearly two days and drew thousands of fans and public figures — including Supreme Court justices and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office on Sunday. 

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé died last Thursday due to complications from colon cancer. He retired in 1977, holding multiple records — some of which still stand (and may never be broken).

Lines of people wishing to say their last goodbyes to a man who became synonymous with Brazilian football extended for kilometers in Santos.

But the absence of Brazilian national football team stars didn’t go unnoticed. Despite multiple tributes on social media, all but one of the players who won World Cup titles in 1994 and 2002 — the only Brazilian titles without Pelé in the squad — failed to show up. 

Also absent were the players from the latest edition of the tournament in Qatar. Many of them have already resumed club activities in Europe. Departing coach Tite, who didn’t renew his contract with the Brazilian football governing body, also failed to attend the wake of the biggest idol in Brazilian sports.

As a matter of fact, the attendance of current and former footballers was made almost entirely of people who played for Santos, the club Pelé defended for most of his career.

Neymar, the biggest Brazilian player today (who recently tied Pelé’s scoring record for the national team of 77 goals) and a former Santos star, was represented by his father — who said he couldn’t come from Paris, where he plays.

Their absence created a wave of outrage from sports fans and journalists. “Pelé is a world idol. But our country has no culture, no education. The champions of 1994 and 2002 didn’t come [except for defensive midfielder Mauro Silva]. But the most important thing is that the people came,” said former football and current pundit Neto.

Neto’s words echoed remarks made in 1983 by Bellini, the captain of the 1958 World Cup champion squad. He lamented that then-football icons didn’t attend the funeral of Garrincha, one of the country’s most iconic players ever — and a hero in the 1962 World Cup title. “Brazilian football is giving a bad example. But the people are here. Look at how many folks. This proves that the people don’t forget their idols.”

Fans remembered that former player Kaká, a reserve in the 2002 squad, complained about the treatment of Brazilian football idols. He complained that, in Brazil, Ronaldo is “just a fat man walking down the street.” Kaká, as well as other players from the 2022 winning squad who recently went to Qatar, was also a no-show at Pelé’s wake.

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