World Cup football | Brazil team on the brink: Pele would have been sad, says son Edinho

The Brazilian football team’s struggles in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers have disappointed millions of fans across the globe, and Pele’s son Edinho Nascimento is also among them.

In the 10-team South American 2016 World Cup qualifying standings, Brazil, who have won a record five titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002), are at sixth. Of the 10 sides, six get direct entry to the World Cup. Brazil have appeared in a record 22 World Cups, never missing qualification for the big event.

Reacting to the state of the Brazilian national team, Pele’s son Edinho said in an interview that his late father “would have been sad” looking at the current situation of the former world champions.

Brazilian football legend Pele passed away due to cancer at the age of 82 on December 29, 2022. Ahead of his first death anniversary, Edinho spoke about his dad, and his former club Santos.

“This crisis didn’t appear overnight, there are big and complex problems,” Edinho told AFP in an interview.

“We are experiencing a decline... we still have great players but in previous times we had more high-level players than we do today,” he added.

Further, he stated, “There is no doubt, if (Pele) had been there this year, he would have been very sad.”

The 53-year-old Edinho, a former footballer and who was Santos’ goalkeeper, said he was not surprised about the sorry state of affairs at Santos.

The Brazilian club was relegated to the second division for the first time in their 111-year history. Also, the club is facing financial problems and boardroom rifts.

“Unfortunately this is no surprise. Anyone who has followed the daily life of the club could have anticipated such a scenario, and it has ended up happening,” said Edinho.

Remembering his legendary father, who won three World Cups, Edinho said the family misses him a lot. “He was exceptional, we miss him a lot. He carried our country’s name through football, which we are very proud of.”

Edinho is one of Pele’s seven children. Pele married three times. He first tied the knot with Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi and they had two daughters Kely and Jennifer and son Edinho.

Pele and Rosemeri separated after they moved to the US where he signed up for New York Cosmos in 1975. Edinho was raised by his mother but later became close to his dad.

Edinho played for various clubs as a goalkeeper and later served as a coach. In 2014, he was arrested and later sentenced in money laundering and drug trafficking cases.