Thursday, February 5, 2026 - A former youth player with Brazilian Serie A side Cruzeiro has di£d weeks after being hit by a stray bullet.
Joao Victor da Silva Santos, 22, had been in a coma for
three weeks in hospital in his native city of Maceio in the north-eastern state
of Alagoas.
He was celebrating the anniversary of Palma Alagoana, a
local team in Maceio owned by an uncle when he was critically
injured.
Tributes were being paid today, Feb. 4, to Joao, a
midfielder with Cruzeiro’s Under-17 team, after it was confirmed, he had
lost his fight for life yesterday, Feb. 3, at Alagoas State General
Hospital where he was admitted to intensive care following the January 11
shooting.
Parma Alagoana, where Joao who was better known by his
nickname of Vitao played for its seven-a-side team, said in an online statement
alongside a photo of the athlete: “It is with great sadness that the Parma
Family expresses its solidarity at this time of profound grief over the loss of
athlete Vitao.
“His story, his dedication, and his smile will remain
forever etched in the memory of all who had the privilege of knowing him.
"May God comfort the hearts of his family, friends, and
teammates, giving them strength to face this irreparable loss. Vitao is gone,
but his legacy lives on among us.”
Cruzeiro, one of Brazil’s most successful clubs and the
biggest in the history of Latin America, has yet to comment on its social
media.
Joao was part of Cruzeiro's youth set-up between 2019 and
2021, scoring one goal in his 33 appearances.
His teammates there included Cruzeiro goalkeeper Otavio
Costa and Vitor Roque, now playing for Palmeiras and the Brazil national
team.
He went on to make his professional football debut with
Brazilian Serie C side Sao Bernardo although he was not playing professionally
when he was injured.
Few details have emerged so far about the circumstances in
which Joao was shot, although local reports say he was hit by a stray bullet.
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