According to the Brazilian media, the health of Billy, known as the "King of the Generation", has taken a sharp turn for the worse, with chemotherapy no longer effective, and the medical team had no choice but to announce that they were abandoning the treatment and placing him in a hospice care facility. The news was greeted with well wishes from World Cup stars Kilian McBarbie, Harry Carney and Yannis Ozulia. Billy spoke out via IG on Sunday (4), expressing his "hopeful" state of mind.
Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo reported on Saturday (3) that Billy, 82, has been admitted to a hospice facility after his chemotherapy treatment failed to work, which is now focused on assisting him with his breathing and relieving his pain. The Albert Einstein Hospital, which has been treating him, later released a statement saying Billy's condition had not worsened in the past 24 hours, but did not confirm whether Billy had been transferred.
Following news of Billy's critical illness, the official French national team Twitter feed posted well wishes and striker Kilian McBarbie took to the social media platform to urge fans to pray for the King. Brazilian striker Yunis Oszulia and star Lee Waldo also encouraged Billy to be strong, while England striker Harry Carney praised Billy's contribution to soccer and wished him a speedy recovery at a press conference before the Round of 16 match. Billy's former club Santos, on the other hand, said, "The world is united for you, Billy the Ballon d'Or!"
Facing concerns about his condition, Billy responded via IG on Sunday, "I hope everyone stays calm and optimistic, I'm still strong and hopeful and treatment is going on as usual."
