Brazilian football legend Pele has slammed his country's preparations for the FIFA World Cup as 'a disgrace' ahead of the tournament, which is set to begin this June.
There have been numerous delays to the completion of stadiums and infrastructure projects while the country has seen wide-scale and often violent protests.
According to the Daily Star, Pele, who won the World Cup three times as a player, has joined the numerous criticising calls for the tournament, saying that the situation is unacceptable and a 'disgrace', coupled with a difficult political situation.
However, Pele backed the Brazilian national team and said that the team has nothing to do with the ongoing corruption that has delayed construction of the stadiums.
Pele further said that the 'evil people who have stolen all the money' are to blame for the current situation in Brazil, adding that protests against corruption are understandable - but not the use of the force.
