Brazilian football legend Pelé, a three-time world champion, expresses concern just days before the upcoming Football World Cup (June 12-July 13). In a major interview with 20 Minutes.fr, he hopes that the demonstrations won’t overshadow the event.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
- “This tournament is a great opportunity, and it will be fantastic for Brazil. It’s crucial to have excellent organization for the competition.”
- “Following the experience of the Confederations Cup last summer, the government has improved its organization and is more involved. I hope we have a successful World Cup. We deserve it.”
- “We have two significant opportunities to showcase our country to the world with the World Cup and the Olympic Games. It’s a chance for economic growth, tourism development, and it’s vital that protests don’t overshadow these opportunities. So, we must work hard.”
Pelé also shares his thoughts on the competition: “There are currently two dominant teams: Germany, who are playing exceptionally well, and Spain, whom we must respect due to their consistent performance with the same group of players for eight years.”
Regarding Messi, he notes, “He is not the same when he plays for FC Barcelona as he is with Argentina. At Barça, he has great players like Xavi and Iniesta to support him. However, with the Argentina team, he faces challenges in synchronizing with his teammates, resulting in a different performance from Messi. We’ll see if they can resolve these issues before the World Cup.”
