Pele 'gives tips' for Vietnam to be able to attend World Cup

The Brazilian "King of Football" believes that the determination to qualify for continental and world-class tournaments at youth level is an important stepping stone to the World Cup goal.

Pele chats with President Putin during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Confederations Cup on June 17.

"King of football" Pele had an interesting conversation with Asian media, including Zing.vn reporters, at the FIFA World Cup 2018 countdown event in Russia last weekend. Pele is famous for bringing "bad luck" to the teams he predicts to win, so this time, the legend born in 1940 did not directly give his opinion on the biggest football tournament on the planet next year.

In addition, he also highly appreciated Vietnam's efforts to participate in world youth tournaments and considered this an important preparation step for the highest level - the World Cup.

- Up to now, you have not yet made your assessment of the 2018 World Cup champion. But do you think Brazil has the ability to be crowned the new champion in the summer of 2018 in Russia?

- I hope Brazil will win. We have played better since Dunga and are a strong team, with many famous players with experience playing in Europe. The only thing to do now is to unite those stars into a strong team.

Overall, I have high hopes for Brazil in the upcoming World Cup.

- The world is facing global terrorism. What do you think the 2018 World Cup organizing committee will do to deal with and prevent this problem?

- I am very sorry about the current terrorist situation. What we are trying to convey to people is the message that sport is not war. That is also the principle for the security forces to maintain the safety of everyone.

We hope that Russia will have a peaceful World Cup.

Pele was interviewed after the 2018 FIFA World Cup countdown event and gave the Vietnamese team some useful advice.

- Vietnam has never participated in the World Cup, but recently we had the opportunity to participate in the FIFA U20 World Cup 2017 in Korea. Do you think that is an important milestone marking the progress of Vietnamese football?

- Of course it is a big step forward. Participating in major tournaments regularly will bring more experience to reach a new level. I still remember clearly the day Brazil lost the 1950 World Cup at home, when I was only 9 or 10 years old. Accumulating experience is very important to participate in big arenas like the World Cup.

- Your life story has inspired millions of people around the world. I saw Russian people chanting your name at the 2018 World Cup countdown event. Can you share about that achievement?

- Many people ask me that. I want to say that, whenever I have the opportunity to meet children, I share my life story. I want to connect generations together, inspire them to play football and to teach them about life philosophy. Before becoming a good player, they must have a good personality first.

- In your opinion, how has modern football changed compared to your time?

- Of course there are big changes. The physical condition of the players has improved a lot compared to the 1962 World Cup and the tactical aspect has also been emphasized more.

Overall, things have changed a lot since the last time I won the World Cup with Brazil in 1970 in Mexico. Winning a match is more about the placement of the players on the pitch and their quality. Change is necessary to win a match.

Many Russian children enthusiastically welcomed Pele to Russia for the 2018 World Cup countdown ceremony.

- Who do you think is the best coach in the world?

- This is a difficult question to answer. I have worked with many good coaches so it is not easy to name the best because each one has a different squad of players. But I am very impressed with Tite, the current coach of Brazil, who has won the trust of the players. Another very talented coach is Beckenbauer of the German national team, he is very smart. However, as I said, it is difficult to give a specific name.

- Which World Cup did you enjoy the most as a player and a viewer? Why?

- In both positions, right? The first World Cup that comes to mind is 1950 when we lost at home. I can't forget that World Cup.

My most important World Cup was probably 1958 in Sweden, the first time I participated. I was only 17 years old. At that time, I had difficulty finding a place in the team, Brazil also had many problems. I just prayed to God “let Brazil win”. And fortunately, God heard my prayer. That was the most important moment in my life as a 17-year-old boy.

- After retiring, your job is to be an image representative for major brands in the world. Can you share specifically about this decision?

- I was offered to represent many advertising companies such as beer and alcoholic drinks. However, I refused because they are not beneficial to players or sports people.

I only accepted to represent Hublot because I saw that the contract would benefit sports, the community, especially children.

- Can you share more specifically?

- As I said, they benefit sport and the community. These funds can help build a movement in schools in Brazil.

Before agreeing, I asked them to come up with plans to see what support they would give to the community, to children, to sports, and then I made the final decision.

According to Zing