Preview
Brazil v Croatia
Enter the heavyweights. With all respect to Ronaldo, who notwithstanding his real or imagined carrying of a few extra kilos could never be described as a soccer lightweight, today sees the grand entrance of the team they all want to see.
Berlin's extensively renovated Olympic Stadium is the suitably grand venue as the incomparable boys from Brazil open their quest for a sixth title, with unpredictable Croatia providing the opponents in the opening Group F meeting.
The roll call of Brazil sides past weighs heavily on the squad of today, but the bulk of this year's vintage come to the tournament with winners medals already locked in their trophy cabinets from 2002.
As four years ago, the man of the moment is Ronaldo, the subject of much diplomatic dispute in recent days amid constant allegations that he is overweight while he has also been dogged by blisters and a fever since arriving last week.
Even former great Tostao opined here that the great man is currently "an unknown quantity."
The Brazilian media have played up the controversy, much to the irritation of the man whose position should be untouchable as the man whose goals won the 2002 final.
One more goal would take the Real Madrid striker ahead of the peerless Pele, whose 12 World Cup goals are a Brazilian record to date.
Three more would move the 29-year-old to the top of the all-time leaderboard ahead of German "bomber" Gerd Muller, who notched 14.
Such is the importance of a World Cup campaign for the "auriverde" that even Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has become embroiled in the run-up to the Croatia game after he inquired of Brazil's coach Carlos Parreira about the issue of Ronaldo's weight.
Vexed to see that the matter had become an issue of state, Ronaldo responded by saying: "Just as he says I'm fat, everybody knows he drinks too much," then said the allegations were simply false on both counts.
Lula swiftly sent a fax "reaffirming his affection for the player," Lula's office said.
According to Parreira, Ronaldo's "body has changed. He is not the youngster he was in 1994."
In terms of his club performances following another injury-ravaged season he is not the player he was either -- but then they said that after he barely played a game for former club Inter Milan four years ago after a catalogue of serious knee injuries but then scored eight goals to lead his country to glory.
"I only want respect," Ronaldo said on Saturday -- and a goal against Croatia would doubtless mean all would be well with his world again, blisters or no blisters.
Ronaldo aside, another man who cannot be overlooked in a side bursting with creativity is world player of the year Ronaldinho, who has fulfilled in spades the potential he showed back in Asia when he played his part in the road to victory in Yokahama.
The 26-year-old from Porto Alegre has turned football into the highest art with his showings this season which carried Barcelona to the Champions League title as well as the Spanish championship for a second straight season.
Add AC Milan's Kaka and Inter Milan hotshot Adriano and up front Brazil look unstoppable.
Brazil are alone in appearing in every World Cup and after wins in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 and runner-up finishes in 1950 and 1998 their pedigree is unmatched, making them 9/4 favorites.
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