Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was conspicuously absent from the funeral of his national teammate Diogo Jota and Jota's brother André Silva, drawing criticism from fans and media in his home country.
While many expected the 40-year-old Al-Nassr star to attend the somber ceremony in Gondomar near Porto, Ronaldo was reportedly vacationing on the island of Majorca. According to reports, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been spotted at upmarket destinations aboard his £5.5 million 88-feet long Azimut Grande yacht.
The funeral service saw an outpouring of support from the football community. Jota's Liverpool teammates were present, alongside Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias, and Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot, who all gathered at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar this morning.
Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves, who had shown visible emotion during Friday night's Club World Cup clash in Orlando, made the journey to pay their respects. Portugal national team manager Roberto Martinez also attended, having traveled from the United States where he had been serving as a member of the FIFA Club World Cup Technical Study Group.
Ronaldo's absence has sparked outrage in Portugal, where many expected the national team captain to show solidarity during this difficult time for the football community.
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