DOHA, Nov 18: Pele said on Friday his biggest contribution to soccer was not confined to the field but in also helping to enable black players attain the status they have today.

Pele, who was 65 last month and remains unsurpassed as the world’s greatest player, was speaking at a news conference after the opening of the new Aspire Academy sports dome, the largest of its kind in the world.

He recalled: “As a 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden I noticed that only my team, Brazil, had black players. I was watching teams like France and Sweden training nearby and they all had white players.

“But today, I can see black players in all these national teams and I believe I have contributed a lot to bringing about this change.”

He added: “Football is a great game, it brings together people of different hues. It’s a family, but my contribution is also social. FIFA has more affiliates than Unesco and I feel proud to be part of it.”

Pele denounced violence and racism in the sport although he felt there were few places where racism still existed in soccer.

He said: “I know in some places in Italy there are some problems. But FIFA is doing its best and I am sure they will continue to take strong measures to wipe this out.”

Looking ahead to next year’s World Cup finals in Germany, he said Brazil were favourites to win for the sixth time even though most of the team play for different clubs in Europe and assemble only a few days before the tournament.

“But they are easily the best,” said Pele. “They have two good players ready for each position.”—Reuters