Rivaldo lifts the World Cup trophy. (Allsport)

By Mark Bradley, PA Sport Chief Soccer Writer, Yokohama

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Rivaldo declared that he had proved himself worthy of the legendary Brazil number 10 shirt, which was worn with such unrivalled distinction by Pele, after his team's 2002 World Cup triumph.

A legion of comparisons with Pele were inevitable after he bear-hugged his compatriots on the winners' podium in Yokohama as they received their medals after defeating Germany.

After all, the Brazilian legend left an enduring legacy which even those players who secured World Cup success in 1994 and now in 2002 inevitably struggle to live up to.

Ronaldo may have moved equal with Pele on an overall tally of 12 World Cup goals - mainly due to the former forward's injury in 1962 - as his double-strike in the final secured him the Golden Shoe.

However, for all of the 25-year-old's incredible mental strength in recovering from the trauma of the 1998 final and his subsequent injury problems, he has yet to rival Pele's impact on the world game.

After all, Pele played in three separate World Cups 12 years apart and remains an iconic figure in the world game.

Ronaldo, who has been hampered by his serious injuries, must therefore win the World Cup a second time before he can truly rival the greatest-ever Brazilian footballer.

Rivaldo, meanwhile, also has to suffer the inevitable comparisons, especially as he has started wearing the number 10 shirt made famous by Pele, as well as Zico.

He declared: "Many people doubted me and said why should I play with the number 10 shirt.

"But I never had anything to prove to anyone. I did a beautiful World Cup in 1998 although I didn't win the title.

"Now I'm a champion and nobody can say anything bad about me. I have done beyond what anyone expected and I have spoken with my feet.

"This World Cup means a lot to me as I'm 30 years old and I believe that it's the last World Cup I will play in. So I had to win this title to be in history."

The Barcelona midfielder certainly enjoyed the whole range of fortunes at the 2002 World Cup, being part pariah, messiah and and finally goal supplier.

In Brazil's opening group game, he soured his reputation by play-acting to get Hakan Unsal sent off but thereafter suffused his team's fortunes with at times spellbinding skill, allied to five goals.

In the final, he endured a strangely subdued game but still played a leading role in both of Ronaldo's goals.

Firstly, Rivaldo powered in the drive which Oliver Kahn could only parry into Ronaldo's path and, secondly, he had the vision to produce a sublime dummy which allowed a cross to run into his prolific team-mate's path.

"I hope that in future, people will remember Rivaldo positively. But I don't want to talk about the future, just the title and the joy. Those who trusted me now have the rewards," he added.

Rivaldo understands only too well just what this fifth World Cup triumph will mean to a country where the streets became a carnival zone even in the normally dead hours of night.

"Brazil needed a title, not only in terms of football but for the country itself. We needed to give the poorest people this joy. It's an honour that few people have. It's a privilege," he said.

Brazil had still entered the tournament as relative outsiders after struggling to qualify, but he insisted the team had never doubted their own ability.

"I knew we would be champions. We could guess it just by looking at the faces of the players," maintained Rivaldo, who dedicated his medal to the memory of his father.

"We all had a great willingness to win and knew we would achieve the World Cup. The emotion is difficult to explain.

"There was no squabbling between the players. It's a united group and when that is the case, we can achieve anything."

But he has accused the Brazilan president Fernando Henrique Cardoso of only supporting the World Cup winners when they are successful.

Rivaldo feels Cardoso was unsupportive when they were struggling in the South American qualifying, and in fact put them under more pressure.

Rivaldo said: "It's not only in the good moments when we need the President's support.

"We needed it in the tough moments during the qualifying round also, but we received more pressure instead."