Behemothic Pelé doll with unzipped pants shocks fans during kick-off tribute

Four months after his death, people in Brazil are still mourning and paying tribute to Pelé. And last weekend, during the Pernambucano Cup final between Retro and Sport Recife, we witnessed another of those homages. 

Perhaps, the most bizarre of all. 

Pelé doll kickoffs Pernambucano final with unzipped pants

Fans at the Ilha do Retiro Stadium were left flabbergasted after a giant figure of Pelé, dressed up in a suit and a superhero cape with the colors of Brazil, entered the field to kick off the game.

Players and officials respectfully joined the tribute with a round of applause. But people watching the game on TV could not stop themselves from commenting on the weird nature of what was filling their screens. 

Antes de Sport x Retrô, pela final do Pernambucano, Pelé foi homenageado

O boneco gigante do Rei entrou no gramado da Ilha do Retiro e deu o pontapé inicial para a decisão, sendo aplaudido pelos jogadores, equipe de arbitragem e pelos torcedores #ge pic.twitter.com/9FQo1wCMRe

— ge (@geglobo) April 22, 2023

Some said the doll didn't look like Pelé at all, while others thought its grinning smile would haunt them forever in their nightmares.

However, the strangest element of the performance was whatever was happening in the crotch area. 

Inside the doll, there was a person controlling the movement, a human being who, in order to see where he was walking and avoid stumbling, needed an opening in the custome. 

That opening was in the crotch and, as you can see, despite the thumbs up, may not have been the best idea.

WTF? Yes, WTF, indeed.