Pele and Ricardo Gaudalupe, CEO of Hublot, which will be the official timekeeper/watch of the 2014 FIFA World Cup

He may have traded in his jerseys for well-cut suits and be found smiling in advertisements for Hublot and Emirates more often than on the pitch, but Brazilian football legend Pele remains the undisputed star as his country prepares to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup in June.

Appointed Brazil’s World Cup ambassador after its 2007 unveiling as the host nation for this year's tournament, Pele has swept up multiple endorsement deals from advertisers ranging from Proctor & Gamble to Volkswagen and Subway, and travelled across the globe to promote Brazil.

Singapore Tatler was invited to a Hublot media conference in Tokyo, Japan where the official timekeeper of the 2014 FIFA World Cup unveiled its Classic Fusion Aero Chrono Pele timepiece, limited to 500 pieces.

Hublot Classic Fusion Aero Chrono Pele 

Here’s what Pele thinks of Brazil’s chances at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and why he believes there's no such thing as the new "king of soccer".

 

Singapore Tatler: The last time Brazil hosted the World Cup (in 1950), they lost. Do you think Brazil will win the 2014 World Cup?

Pele: The World Cup is the chance for Brazil to show the world what our possibilities are. Everyone knows knows Brazil lost in the only World Cup that we hosted in 1950. I think now is a good opportunity to recover from that.

 

Singapore Tatler: In your opinion, which are the best teams this year that will make it to the finals?

Pele: We have three good teams: Germany, Spain, and of course, Brazil. The other teams I would say we have to watch and respect are Argentina – who always come into the final – and Italy.

 

Singapore Tatler: You still hold the world record for scoring 1,281 goals in your career, and for having won three consecutive World Cups for Brazil. How does it feel to be the "king of football"?

Pele: Actually, we have a lot of good players all over the world. To me, the important thing is to always be prepared. Because when people start to think or say, "this is the best" or "he is the best", everything becomes more difficult, because you must always be in good condition and good shape. People start to look up to you. There is some pressure. But the important thing is to always work hard.

 

Singapore Tatler: Who do you think is today’s "king of football"?

Pele: It’s difficult to say "king of soccer" at the moment because the king has to last for some time, and today that is difficult. To me, the last good player who stayed almost 10 years at the same level was (Zinedine) Zidane. And now, you have (Lionel) Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

 

Singapore Tatler: What made you decide to work with Hublot, and do you have any common philosophies?

Pele: Everybody knows my priorities and philosophy – that is, to benefit children. A few years ago, I worked with UNICEF. Now with Hublot, again I have the opportunity to work with kids. It’s fantastic, because I try to give the best to them, I want them to see the better world, and I have this opportunity to pass them this good message.

 

Singapore Tatler: What do you consider the biggest highlights of your career?

Pele: The most important moment in my career was my first World Cup tournament, when I was 17. It was like a dream. The moment where I felt the most responsibility was in the 1970 World Cup, because it was my last World Cup. That was fantastic.

 

Singapore Tatler: Do you have any regrets?

Pele: If I can count it as such, it’s that I have never played in the Wembley Stadium in London.

 

 

Images: Jane Ngiam, Hublot