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President Dilma Rousseff greets Pele during a meeting at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia
Following Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff invitation to Pele to act as an honorary ambassador for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the legendary footballer on Tuesday accepted the invitation stating that it was an honour he could not turned down.
“From the first World Cup that I played (in 1958) I’ve been doing this: I defend and promote Brazil. It’s a very big responsibility and I could not turn down the invitation,” said Pele.
Sports Minister Orlando Silva said that Pele had been a natural choice because of “all he had done for sport in Brazil. He’s a man who knows a lot about the world of football. He’s going to help and represent us”. In fact who could have been a better choice than Pele to carry out this role?
Pele’s role as an ambassador would be to promote the preparedness of Brazil for the 2014 showdown in his own country and abroad. Thought he has been critical about the delays in building stadiums and infrastructure, the 70-year-old Brazilian requested all his countrymen and women to support the work so that the nation pulls off an event it can be proud of.
