Keli Nascimento, the daughter of legendary Brazilian striker Pele, admitted that before his death, her father wanted Argentina to win the World Cup in Qatar.
"When Brazil lost to Croatia, my father felt worse. Everyone wanted Brazil to win the trophy for my dad. My dad understood football better than most. He understood that any team could win the trophy, and that's why he loved this beautiful game. After Brazil was eliminated, all the visitors who came to my dad's room would say: "How are you, Pele? How are you? Please, not Argentina!".
He would answer them: "Argentina must win! The Cup must return to South America, and Messi deserves this triumph."
During the final match, Pele could no longer watch TV, but he realized that Argentina had won and Messi had managed to lift the World Cup. He was happy," Keli Nascimento wrote on Instagram.
It will be recalled that in the final match of the 2022 World Cup, Argentina defeated France in a series of post-match penalties.
Pele died on January 29, 2022 after a long battle with cancer.