Messi the best in the world: Brazil's Lula

Messi the best in the world: Brazil's Lula

 BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that Argentinean star and Barcelona FC striker Lionel Messi is "the best one in the world."

In an interview published Thursday by Buenos Aires' local daily "La Nacion", Lula said he can't imagine a "worst nightmare¹" than to see Argentina become champion in Brazil 2014.

"Before we fought to know who was the best, if Maradona or Pele. And of course Pele was better. But today, there are no doubts: Messi is the best one in the world," said Lula, who didn't mention his fellow citizen Neymar, from Sao Paulo's Santos FC, neither the Portuguese² player Cristiano Ronaldo from Spain's Real Madrid CF.

Lula, a well-known fan of Sao Paulo's Corinthians, joked twice during the interview about the possibility that the Argentineans would win the 2014 World Cup, which would be the third one after Argentina 1978 and Mexico 1986.

"The only thing we don't want, and that we won't allow, is that Argentina tries to win the 2014 World Cup" and "we won't let them raise the World Cup in Rio," were Lula's phrases.

Argentina is in the first position in the South American qualification series for Brazil 2014, with 20 points, followed by Ecuador (17), Colombia (16), Venezuela, Chile and Uruguay (12), Peru and Bolivia (8), and Paraguay (7).

1 nightmare   

n.恶梦，可怕的事物，无法摆脱的恐惧

参考例句：

• I was glad to awake from such a nightmare.我庆幸终于从噩梦中醒来了。
• I had a nightmare last nightand,lost sleep.昨夜我作了个恶梦，失眠了。

2 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。