Pele “would have been sad” at the state of the current Brazilian national team, his son Edinho has told AFP in an interview days before the first anniversary of his death on Friday.
Brazil have struggled in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and presently occupy sixth place in the South American table, the last spot that affords direct qualification. The Selecao have struggled without their biggest current star, Neymar, who is a long-term injury absentee after tearing knee ligaments. “This crisis didn’t appear overnight, there are big and complex problems,” said Edinho, 53, who is one of Pele’s seven children.