Brazil not yet World Cup favourites: Scolari

Luiz Felipe Scolari

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari says his team is not yet the favourite to win next year’s football World Cup despite its comprehensive 3-0 victory over Spain in the Confederations Cup final.

Victory in the World Cup warm-up tournament here Sunday guarantees Brazil will rise sharply from their current position of No. 22 when the next FIFA rankings are announced, reports Xinhua.

“The result gives us great confidence, because it shows we can match the best teams in the world. But we still have areas where we know we need to improve,” Scolari said during his post-match press conference here at the Maracana.

“We have beaten France, Uruguay, Italy and Spain in the past month, all previous World Cup winners. But there are other teams who we are yet to play like Germany and Argentina that are going to be very tough to be beat.”

Scolari did not rule out the possible return of veterans Kaka and Ronaldinho at next year’s World Cup, despite the pair having been overlooked for the Confederations Cup.

“The door is always open for great players,” the 64-year-old said. “We will look at all of our players in Europe and the rest of the world over the next year. They will be well received if and when we call on them. The team is open to all.”