"Soccer legend Billy passed away on Thursday (29), and fans around the world are in mourning. A statement from Billy's parent club, Santos, announced that a farewell ceremony for "The King" will be held on Monday (2). Billy's body will be placed in the center circle of Santos' home stadium, and the ceremony will be open to the public, allowing fans to pay their last respects to the great player. Numerous international stars, such as Cron, Mays and McBarbee, have posted messages expressing their condolences, and Brazilian star Nima even lamented, "Billy made soccer an art."
The Brazilian government and the Santos club began preparations for a farewell ceremony as soon as Billy's condition deteriorated. Billy spent 18 years of his illustrious career with Santos and the club announced that the ceremony would be held at the Belmiro Stadium. Santos revealed that the casket of Billy's body will be transported to the center circle of the Belmiro Stadium early Monday morning Brazilian time, with the ceremony lasting from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. the following morning. After the ceremony, the casket will pass by the residence of Billy's 100-year-old mother, who, according to Brazilian media reports, is no longer able to get out of bed for health reasons.
As soon as the news of Billy's death was confirmed, many soccer stars sent messages of condolence. Known as the "new king" of the Argentine striker Meis message: "Rest in peace, Billy!" Portugal star C Ronaldo published a long message to express condolences: "...... Billy will always live in our hearts, his spirit will always exist in every soccer fan, rest in peace, the king of the ball Billy!" French striker McBarbie said: "The king of the ball is gone from us, but his legend will be passed on forever."
Brazilian striker Nima, who also hails from Santos and is seen as a potential successor to Billy, said on social media, "Before Billy arrived, the number 10 was just a number, and that sentence is not enough to express the fullness of it; what I'm saying is that before Billy arrived, soccer was just a sport. Billy revolutionized soccer, he turned it into art, entertainment. He spoke on behalf of the poor, the blacks, and put Brazil in the spotlight of the world, and both Brazil and soccer were elevated because of him. Although he has left us, the magic remains, the eternal Billy!"
