Pelé says that FIFA scandal is a shame

King of Football is in New Delhi for the final of the Subroto Cup, between India U17 and Indonesia's Daftar Nama Kontingen on Friday.

Pelé had carefully dodged questions about the crisis at FIFA in his India tour, and the organizers did not want the FIFA controversy to overshadow their event. During the interaction, a question about the FIFA scandal came from a journalist, but the organizers stopped her from asking it mid-way which resulted in protests. Then Pelé stepped in with a smile, and said: "It's a democracy. Let her ask the question!"

Pelé added: "Whatever is happening in FIFA, it is a shame. This is not due to football but due to some people involved in the FIFA. Of course, we are sorry about what happened now in FIFA. But, we cannot mix this [corruption scandal] with football. This is due to some people who administer football."

Pelé already made it clear that he doesn't want to run for the FIFA presidency, and when asked about his compatriot Zico, he said: "If you are alone, you cannot do anything. I want a person who respects football and people. He is one of the players who have done a lot for football, in Japan and other countries. He wants to stand for FIFA presidency. I told him you have the courage but I don’t have that courage."