Pele was glued to the radio as heavy traffic in Sao Paulo meant the Brazil legend missed the first half of his country's goalless draw Tuesday with Mexico.
"I suffered a lot -- I listened to the first half in the car. There was so much traffic, the car just wasn't moving," said Pele, 73, who was driving from Santos to Sao Paulo, a megacity of 20 million.
"It was the second time I heard a Brazil World Cup match on the radio ... In 1950 and today," Pele told Globo television after the game in Fortaleza.
He insisted that "the team did not play badly -- they just didn't win."
"We know there are no easy games. God willing we shall get to the final," he added, urging the populace to keep "thinking positively.
