Top 10 Wrong Pele Predictions
It wouldn't be a World Cup without some hilarious Pele forecasts. Pele may have been one of the greatest players in the history of the game, having been part of three victorious World Cup teams in 1958, 1962 and 1970, but ever since retiring, Pele has not been able to garner the same amount of respect as a football astrologer off-the-pitch.
The Brazilian is infamous for his numerous wrong predictions over the years. Romario once declared that "Pele is a poet when he keeps his mouth shut", while coach Luiz Felipe Scolari delivered the legendary line, "I believe Pele knows nothing about football. His analysis always turns out to be wrong. If you want to win a title, you have to listen to Pele and then do the opposite."
In light-hearted celebration of 'The King', here are the top 10 Wrong Pele Predictions. Starting with his prediction about China in 2002, when Pele predicted that China would qualify for the next round from their 2002 World Cup group. Instead, China finished at the bottom of Group C with no wins, no draws, no points, and no goals along with a negative nine in their goal-difference column.
Next was his prediction about Spain in 1998 when Pele said that Spain is favorites for the 1998 World Cup in France. What actually happened was that Spain humiliatingly got dumped out in the first round after losing to Nigeria, and drawing with Paraguay. Another one of Pele’s predictions was when he said that Colombia would live the American Dream. He said that Colombia would win the 1994 World Cup in the USA. What happened instead was that Colombia exited the competition in the first round, finishing at the bottom of their group. Their defender Andres Escobar also got tragically shot dead by an angry fan after Colombia returned home.
About Argentina, France & the World Cup 2002, Pele predicted that Argentina & France would both reach the finals. The actual outcome was that both countries got eliminated in the first round, France without even scoring a goal.
During the famous film ‘Escape to Victory’ starring Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine, Allies star Pele is brutally fouled in the first half by the n**i opponents. The injured Brazilian claims there is no way he can continue and is carried off. The Allies are 4-0 down, and a recovery is deemed impossible.
What happens? Pele returns in the second half and inspires his team to an improbable comeback, even scoring a stunning bicycle kick. Even in fiction, Pele's predictions go wrong.
For some odd reason, Pele also felt the need to predict that Ronaldo was finished as a football player. He said that Ronaldo would never play football again, and his career would be over, following a serious injury for Milan in February 2008. What actually happened was that Ronaldo returned in March 2009 for Corinthians, scoring 10 goals in his first 14 games along with winning the Campeonato Paulista.
After starring in the 1991 Under-17 World Cup, which also featured Alessandro Del Piero, Pele proclaimed that Ghana youngster Lamptey would be his successor as ‘The New Pele’. What happened next goes down in football infamy; Lamptey spectacularly fails to fulfill his talent, believing himself that he was cursed by dark forces. The midfielder shifts around clubs such as PSV, Aston Villa, Coventry, Venezia and Ankaragucu, without success, and endures tragedy in his personal life as two of his children die.
Up there with the Zidane, Maldini and Ronaldo predictions was Pele’s prediction on Nicky Barmby, who he said would become a world class star. The outcome was that Nicky Barmby became nothing more than an average player, winning 23 England caps, and never even appearing in a World Cup in his life.
‘Africa Will Rule’ was Pele’s prediction, as he said an African nation would win the World Cup before the year 2000. But it is now 2010, and an African country still needs to get past the quarter-final in the history of football. Another fond memory is when Pele gave a prediction on Brazil and the World Cup 2002, when he stated that Brazil wouldn’t even get past the group stages. What actually happened, as everyone knows is that Brazil won the World Cup, and soccer fans the world over were left laughing at Pele and his magnificently wrong predictions.
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