23 June,2014 07:29 AM IST | | AFP
He's 'the king', renowned as football's greatest ever and the icon of Brazilian World Cup success. But with the tournament finally back in his home country, it seems somebody forgot to invite Pele
Pele gets emotional
Santos (Brazil): He's 'the king', renowned as football's greatest ever and the icon of Brazilian World Cup success. But with the tournament finally back in his home country, it seems somebody forgot to invite Pele.
Pele gets emotional
At the opening ceremony in Sao Paulo, attended by President Dilma Rousseff and a clutch of visiting heads of state, Pele was a notable absentee despite living not far away in Santos.
For Brazil's second game in Fortaleza, the three-time World Cup winner was not only not at the game - he was in his car, stuck in Brazil's notorious traffic near Sao Paulo.
"It was the second time I heard a Brazil World Cup match on the radio... in 1950 and today," he told Globo television later, referring to when Brazil first hosted the World Cup.
Brazil is not short of successful ex-players. But Pele, 73, was named an honorary ambassador in the build-up to the World Cup and has an unmatchable following abroad. Last week, a museum celebrating his life was unveiled in Santos.
