At a recent event the Brazilian legend has spoken about comparisons made between him and the Argentine and about Brazil’s World Cup prospects this year.
The rivalry between Pelé and Maradona shows no signs of abating as recent comments by Maradona suggested that he considered himself superior to Pelé.
“Maradona loves me. Argentines love to make a comparison. They’ve had great players like Di Stefano, Sivoli, Maradona and Messi. I always say to my Argentine friends: ‘First decide who is the best in Argentina and then you can discuss who is the best in the world,” joked Pelé.
The Rei also demonstrated the confidence he has in the current Brazil squad which he thinks is capable of winning the World Cup in July. However, he stated that he is worried about the strikeforce, especially with Fred, who only recently returned to action after five months out with an injury.
“My heart is confident. I always believe in Brazil. We saw what Brazil is capable of when we had the Confederations Cup. Despite the protests and the lack of belief people had we were champions. Obviously, the World Cup is different. My only concern is the attack. Our defence is very good, including a number of good reserve options. But Felipão and Parreira have a little problem getting the attack right, which has always been a strong area for Brazil. We need to remember that Fred isn’t a kid anymore, and we can’t rely solely on him.”
Despite his confidence in the Seleção, Pelé considers Germany and Spain to be favourites.
“At the moment the two best teams are Germany and Spain. They’ve been building these teams for five years. But it won’t be easy for anyone. We have to be prepared. The best team doesn’t always win,” he completed.
