Rio de janeiro, Brazil | Xinhua | Football legend Pele said Thursday that he believes Brazil will be crowned World Cup champions for a sixth time in Qatar next month.
Brazil earned a berth in international football’s premier event by going undefeated in qualifying and finishing top of the 10-team South American group, six points ahead of second-placed Argentina.
“You may even think that I am too confident, but I feel that we will see Brazil win again,” the 82-year-old said on social media.
He accompanied the post with a photo of himself lifting the Jules Rimet trophy in a convertible as it passes the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Brazil, who last won the World Cup in 2002, will begin their campaign against Serbia on November 24 and will also meet Switzerland and Cameroon in Group G.
Widely regarded as one of the best footballers of all time, Pele is the only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
In recent years, he battled a series of health issues, including problems related to his spine, hip, knee and kidneys. Last year, he underwent surgery to remove a tumor in his colon, which was followed by chemotherapy.
