Pele wanted ARGENTINA and Lionel Messi to win the World Cup after Brazil's exit, reveals his daughter... as she says soccer icon didn't see the victory but knew they lifted the trophy and was 'happy' before he died
- Pele watched the majority of the tournament in Qatar from his hospital bed
- Lionel Messi led Argentina to World Cup victory over France on penalties
- Click here for all your latest international Sports news from DailyMail.com
Soccer legend Pele wanted Argentina and Lionel Messi to win the World Cup after his native Brazil's exit, his daughter revealed.
Pele, who passed away aged 82 on December 29, watched the majority of the tournament in Qatar from his hospital bed but would regularly posted about the event on social media.
He regularly tweeted out his support for Brazil, who he won three World Cups with, until their quarter-final exit on penalties at the hands of Croatia.
His daughter, Kely Nascimento, has now revealed that her father backed Brazil's South American rivals once his home country heartbreakingly crashed out of the tournament.
She took to Instagram to share a selfie of herself with Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo and revealed that she had passed on the story of Pele's support.
![Pele wanted Argentina and Lionel Messi to win the World Cup](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/01/21/68232481-0-image-m-18_1677707646006.jpg)
![Lionel Messi and Argentina lifted the trophy in Qatar](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/01/21/68232211-0-image-a-19_1677707650676.jpg)
Soccer legend Pele wanted Argentina and Lionel Messi to win the World Cup after Brazil's exit
![His daughter Kely Nascimento (L) revealed she had told Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo (R)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/01/22/68231993-11809623-His_daughter_Kely_Nascimento_L_revealed_she_had_told_Messi_s_wif-a-35_1677708339582.jpg)
His daughter Kely Nascimento (L) revealed she had told Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo (R)
She wrote in the caption: 'Story time: This is the very pretty and kind Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi's wife. I didn't have the opportunity to meet Messi, so when I met her in the magical place of every party (the women's restroom) I passed on a message to him through her.
'When Brazil lost to Croatia, my dad was already getting worse. Everyone wanted Brazil to win the World Cup for my dad, no one more than the selecao! But my dad knew better than most what soccer is like. And it was the possibility of any team being able to win that he would always say was what he loved about the beautiful game.
'After Brazil's exit, everyone that came into his hospital room (all day, every day until the final!!!) would ask him: 'and now Pele? Now who do you want to win? Surely not Argentina!!!'
'And he would say, "Yes Argentina! The trophy has to come back to South America and Messi has to win."
'Everyone would feign (and sometimes not even feign) horror! What?! Argentina?!
'And he simply would say, "yes, Messi wins."'
She added that her father did not get to watch the final but claimed that he knew Messi had clinched the desired victory and was happy before he died.
'He didn't ever get to watch the final on television but he knew that Argentina had won and that Messi had lifted the trophy, and he was happy,' she added. 'Long live football.'
![Brazil crashed out of the World Cup on penalties to Croatia in the quarter finals in Qatar](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/01/21/65428507-11520167-Neymar_couldn_t_fight_back_the_tears_as_he_is_consoled_by_Brazil-a-1_1677707599046.jpg)
Brazil crashed out of the World Cup on penalties to Croatia in the quarter finals in Qatar
![Pele's daughter took to Instagram to share the heartwarming story of her father's support](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/01/22/68231991-11809623-Pele_s_daughter_took_to_Instagram_to_share_the_heartwarming_stor-a-34_1677708330600.jpg)
Pele's daughter took to Instagram to share the heartwarming story of her father's support
Messi scored twice during the World Cup final at the Lusail Stadium, adding to his total haul of seven for the tournament, and became the first player to win player of the tournament twice during his team's victory over France on penalties.
He cemented his status as the greatest of all time for many fans after finally clinching the one trophy that had evaded him throughout his sensational career.
Meanwhile, Pele, the young black kid from Tres Coracoes, in the southern reaches of Minas Gerais, led Brazil to their first World Cup, in Sweden in 1958, aged 17.
He went on to win two more World Cups with the Selecao firstly in Chile four years later and then the iconic third win in Mexico in 1970, making him the only player to have won soccer's greatest honor three times.
![Pele led Brazil to their first World Cup, in Sweden in 1958, aged 17, and went on to win two more](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/01/21/68232365-0-image-a-15_1677707560309.jpg)
Pele led Brazil to their first World Cup, in Sweden in 1958, aged 17, and went on to win two more
Throughout his career, he scored 1,282 goals in 1,366 games, which included 77 in 92 appearances for his country.
Pele was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo on November 29.
He had suffered from kidney and prostate problems since surgery to remove a tumor from his colon in September 2021.
Brazil honored three days of state mourning for the King, before his coffin was brought to Santos - where he played for 18 years - and carried down the touchline at Vila Belmiro stadium.
Thousands of people queued to enter the stadium and pay their respects to soccer's greatest ever.
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