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| April 20, 2006 | Thursday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 21, 1427 |
This is Brazil’s World Cup: Ronaldinho
BERLIN, April 19: Ronaldinho believes Brazil can live up to their billing as World Cup favourites and defend the trophy at the finals in Germany.
Barcelona midfielder Ronaldinho, 26, was part of the Brazil team that lifted the 2002 in Yokohama with a 2-0 win over Germany and predicts a sixth World Cup win for the Selecao four years on.
“I think that it will be Brazil's World Cup,” Ronaldinho said in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
“I don't think about standing out or being more or less the best. I simply want to do my best so that Brazil will be the world champions.
“The most important thing is that Brazil reaches the final and wins.”
Brazil are the overwhelming favourites to reach the final on July 9 and Ronaldinho admits the three group opponents Croatia, Japan and Australia will need no firing up.
“It will be hard to advance past the first stage because everyone will be aiming for us,” Ronaldinho said.
“They will all have a bit of extra motivation.”
For Brazil the motivation is appeasing their demanding 174 million football fans back home but Ronaldinho believes the mixture of new players and past winners from 2002 could drive the team on.
“Those who won in 2002 know how good it is to win a World Cup and are motivated,” he added.
Brazil's record haul of five World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) makes them the most successful football nation with Italy and Germany the next best with three World Cup victories to their name. —AFP
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