The confederation said Pedro Vieira da Silva died early Saturday in a hospital in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 78. The death came a few hours after Brazil beat Colombia 2-1 in the quarterfinals in Fortaleza.
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari gave Marcelo permission to return to Rio de Janeiro to be with his family, but the player said he preferred to mourn alongside his teammates.
The Real Madrid defender has said in the past that his grandfather was his greatest supporter in football since he was a kid.