Decapitated head of Brazilian footballer Joao Rodrigo Silva Santos found dumped on Rio doorstep

The decapitated head of a Brazilian footballer has been found dumped inside a backpack in front of his house in Rio de Janeiro.

Joao Rodrigo Silva Santos, who played for a number of second division teams in his native country, was kidnapped on Monday night in the district of Realengo.

His distraught wife Geisa Silva, 31, made the grisly discovery, with Brazilian media reporting that his eyes and tongue had also been gouged out.

Police investigating the motive behind the killing initially suspected he may have been murdered by drug traffickers.

But it later emerged he had published photos online of three men he claimed had robbed his health food shop, asking members of the public to help identify them.

Mr Santos" brother-in-law told Brazil"s Globo G1 that his wife has stayed up all night when he failed to retu home.

Distraught: The wife of the former footballer is escorted by policemen in Rio de Janeiro (Picture: Reuters)

‘Every time a car passed by she would go to see," he said.

‘She was getting ready to go to work at around 5.30am when she heard a noise, opened the front door and saw his rucksack.

‘When she opened it she discovered it contained his head.

‘I did not want to look but the people who saw it said they had gouged out his eyes and cut off his tongue."

Police also found body parts, believed to belong to the footballer, near the Guandu river in Queimados, greater Rio de Janeiro.

No arrests have yet been made.