RIO DE JANEIRO, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President Michel Temer has told the country's national soccer team to win the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Through his Twitter account, President Temer spoke about the World Cup after the announcement of the final list of the 23 players summoned for the national team earlier in the day.
"We already have the team for the Russia World Cup. Now, Tite and team, with all due respect to our Russian hosts and friends, and with humility, please bring the Cup home," Temer said, addressing the players and head coach Tite.
Soccer is a national pastime in Brazil. The country already has five World Cup titles: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, and was the host of the 2014 World Cup, in which the local team lost in the semifinals to Germany - who eventually became the champion - with the embarrassing result of 7-1.
Since the embarrassment of the latest World Cup results, the Brazilian team has been trying to prove themselves and win back the fans' trust. Only six out of the 13 players were in the team who lost the 2014 Cup.
Brazil will play its first match in the 2018 World Cup against Switzerland on June 17. The other matches in the first phase of the tournament are against Costa Rica, on June 22, and Serbia, on June 27.
