Pele “would have been sad” about the present situation of the Brazilian national team, according to his son Edinho, in an interview days before the first anniversary of his death on Friday.
Brazil has struggled in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, currently sitting sixth in the South American standings, the last slot that allows for direct qualification.
The Selecao has struggled without its current star, Neymar, who is sidelined for the foreseeable future after ripping knee ligaments.
FIFA has issued a warning to Brazil about possible punishment.
“This crisis did not appear overnight; there are large and complex problems,” Edinho, 53, one of Pele’s seven offspring, said.
On December 27, 2022, a visitor examines a photograph of Brazil’s football star Edson Arantes do Nascimento ‘Pele’, which will be on display at the Pele Museum in Santos, Brazil. Photographer: AFP
“We are experiencing a decline… we still have great players but in previous times we had more high-level players than we do today.”
Edinho, who was raised by his mother after Pele and his mother divorced soon after they moved to New York in 1975 when he joined for the New York Cosmos but got closer to him later in life, added: “There is no doubt, if (Pele) had been there this year, he would have been very sad.”
Santos, the Brazilian team where Pele spent the most of his career, is likewise going through a difficult time after being relegated to the second division for the first time in the club’s 111-year existence.
The club is plagued by financial issues and boardroom schisms.
“Unfortunately, this comes as no surprise.” “Anyone who has followed the daily life of the club could have predicted such a scenario, and it has ended up happening,” Edinho, a former Santos goalkeeper, stated.
The rituals to commemorate Pele’s death from cancer at the age of 82 on Friday are anticipated to be low-key.
The six surviving offspring of the man largely regarded as the greatest player in history will conduct a virtual reunion to honor the occasion, since several reside in the United States, while a ceremony is planned for the mausoleum in Santos, which opened to the public in May.
Edinho, whose life has been far from easy as a result of his time in prison for money laundering and drug trafficking, said the death of the charismatic guy who scored 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil has left a great void in the family’s lives.
“He was exceptional, and we miss him a lot,” Edinho added. “He carried our country’s name through football, which we are very proud of.”