Romário: Brazil will finally win football gold at Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Legendary forward makes prediction after recalling his Olympic experience at Seoul 1988 during visit to Rio 2016 headquarters
Romário celebrates putting Brazil ahead against the USSR in the 1998 Olympic final (IOC/Georges Gobet)
Winning a first Olympic gold medal in football at the Rio 2016 Games has become something of an obsession for Brazil. After suffering disappointment in the London 2012 final, Barcelona star Neymar has said he wants to lead the charge on home soil next year. And now one of the nation’s most legendary players, Romário, has backed the current generation to deliver.
“It’s a title that Brazil really needs and I personally believe that next year will be our turn,” said the man regarded as one of the greatest forwards of all time, in an exclusive interview with rio2016.com.
Video: Romário on the Olympic Games (click on cog symbol to select English subtitles):
Romário, who is now a politician having been elected to Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies in 2010, was speaking during a visit to the headquarters of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, where he recalled his Olympic experiences at the 1988 Games in Seoul.
Despite finishing the tournament as top scorer with seven goals and putting Brazil ahead in the final against the Soviet Union, Romário had to settle for silver as the USSR won 2-1 in extra-time, in front of 73,000 fans. It was Brazil’s second silver and they would add bronzes in 1996 and 2008, before losing 2-1 to Mexico in the London 2012 final.
However, what Romário remembers most from Seoul was the feeling of being part of something much bigger than just football, a sensation that he felt most clearly during meal times in the Olympic Village. He also recalled seeing stars from other sports, in particular Argentinian tennis player Gabriela Sabatini.
Romário takes on Italy’s Demetrio Albertini in the 1994 World Cup final (Photo: Getty Images/Ben Radford)
As is often the course, the Olympic football tournament of 1988 offered an early glimpse of future stars. Brazil’s team also featured striker Bebeto and goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel, who would go on to help their nation to a fourth World Cup win, in the USA in 1994, thanks largely to Romário’s five goals. Romário, who played for Barcelona at the time, won the Golden Ball award for the 1994 World Cup’s best player and also won the FIFA player of the year award that year.
