Paris: Pele told AFP in an interview that the World Cup is a major opportunity for Brazil despite the nerves and dark talk of stadiums not being ready on time. But Pele is worried about striker Neymar, who is carrying a nation's hopes into the tournament that starts in Rio de Janeiro on June 12.

"This is Neymar's first World Cup and nobody knows exactly what is going to happen. It is a big responsibility for him," said Pele, who hit international prominence as a 17-year-old at the 1958 finals in Sweden.