Pele hopes Neymar could showcase World Cup in Brazil

Brazilian legend Pele hopes his countryman Neymar could help winning World Cup again.

Pele is counting on Neymar to lead Brazil to World Cup victory and erase the painful memory of the last time the football-mad country hosted the tournament.

 

Neymar with Pele © scaryfootball.com

 Considered by many to be world's best player, Pele was only 9 years old when Brazil lost to Uruguay in the final match of the 1950 World Cup. Pele then led Brazil to the title eight years later, when he was 17, and again in 1962 and 1970. With Brazil hosting the tournament this year, the pressure is on the 22-year-old Neymar, who scored a hat trick last week in a friendly against South Africa.

"Neymar is a great player. I know him very well, because he played for Santos and my son was goalkeeper there, and then coached in the youth teams," the 73-year-old Pele. "I think the pressure you speak of exists. What's important is that he plays for Barcelona and the fact he left Brazil means that he gained in experience."

After a difficult start to his career in Spain, Neymar has shown glimpses of his potential, scoring a hat trick in the Champions League against Celtic and a further seven goals in 20 league games.
                                                                                                                                  - gulf-daily-news.com