Retirement in style at Maracanã: Brazilian Fred bids farewell to football at 38 years old.

The farewell of a legend

Fred from Fluminense decided to hang up his boots this Saturday at the age of 38 in a packed Maracaná that left their voice to say goodbye to their "eternal number 9" in a memorable celebration.

"I promised at home that I wouldn't cry because I've already cried too much. I have to express a little bit of the gratitude I feel for everything this group and this fanbase has done. It's the most humane club I've ever known in my life," declared the striker with a choked voice, after the 2-1 victory against Ceará.

Frederico Chaves Guedes has put an end to a successful two-decade career due to health reasons. The experienced goalscorer suffers from diplopia, a problem of "double vision" that has forced him to retire early.

The fans and the board of Tricolor Carioca have come together to make sure that the farewell of their historic captain was unforgettable. The tributes took place before, during, and after Saturday's match of the 16th round of the Brazilian Championship.

There were no shortage of flares, spectacular mosaics, chants, and masks with Fred's face that filled the stands of the Carioca stadium.

The highlight came in the 75th minute of the match, when Fred stepped onto the field for the last time, with tears in his eyes, to replace Argentine forward Germán Cano. At the final whistle, all his teammates went straight to embrace him.

"I want to thank all the tricolores and tell them that I will always carry this shirt tattooed on my body. I didn't expect all this, I don't deserve it, because if we analyze what they did for me, I have an eternal debt," confessed the striker, who couldn't hold back the tears in the end.