Neves and Cancelo leave Club World Cup to attend funeral

Rúben Neves and João Cancelo of Al Hilal departed from the Club World Cup to attend their teammate’s funeral in Portugal — following an emotional quarter-final match against Fluminense.

Both players were seen in tears during the pre-match minute of silence. Neves, who was a close friend of the deceased, served as a pallbearer during the funeral ceremony.

Various prominent football figures paid their final respects:

• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Steven Gerrard
• Portuguese Prime Minister
• British Prime Minister

“More than friendship, we are family. You’ll always be there with me on the pitch, and we’ll follow our path together,” wrote Neves in his emotional Instagram message.

In a separate match, Portuguese Chelsea forward Pedro Neto paid tribute by wearing a jersey bearing his fallen friends’ names before the quarter-final against Palmeiras.