Ronaldo (right) - feeling calm. (Allsport)

By From Mark Bradley, PA Sport Chief Soccer Writer, Yokohama

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Ronaldo declared that he was feeling no tension ahead of Sunday's World Cup final as he revealed Brazil's secret relaxation tactic - playing bingo.

The multi-million pound squad have recently been gathering in a common room at their Japanese hotel to settle down for a hard evening's bingo to pass the time.

As well as video games, the unlikely distraction is helping to reduce the tension around the squad in the build-up to the final against Germany.

Ronaldo revealed: "I've been relaxing by myself but also finding calm among the group. It's a very relaxed group.

"We keep on playing video games and joking. We also play bingo in the evenings."

The pressure is greatest on the 25-year-old striker, especially as he awoke on the morning of the 1998 final and apparently suffered a seizure, which later ensured that he had little impact on the game.

However, he is now doing all he can to shut all memories of that game out of his mind, meaning that any kind of diversion - whether it involves 'eyes down for a full house' or not - is welcome.

"I am very calm. Everyone keeps on reminding me of 1998 but I don't know why," insisted Ronaldo.

"I keep on forgetting it and have no problem with it. I am just finding tranquillity to play a good game and to bring the title to Brazil.

"The most important thing before the final is that the team aren't making me feel like the saviour. That is taking away a lot of pressure from my shoulders."

Ronaldo confirmed he would be fit to start Sunday's final despite experiencing slight pain in his thigh and lower leg after coming off with 23 minutes left in Wednesday's semi-final victory against Turkey.

He has been receiving massage treatment every two hours since then during waking hours, but managed to come through today's full training session with no obvious problems.

Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari unashamedly worked with his intended first-team for an hour in public, with Ronaldinho set to replace Edilson in the side after a one-match ban.

Ronaldo is, meanwhile, relishing the relaxed attitude in the squad, contrasting it to his two previous World Cup experiences, when he was a 17-year-old substitute in the victorious 1994 squad and when he played at France '98.

"The group is simply finding it a pleasure to be here. It's totally different to what I found in 1998 and it reminds me to a certain extent of 1994," he added.

"The only difference is that in 1994, people were under a bit more restraint of emotion as there was Dunga and Romario, who kept the group together in quite a tough way.

"This time, we don't have one man who is the leader, although there is of course Cafu, who is doing his job as captain.

"We are all the same though and this is the first time I have played in a team where we are all equal."

The shrieks of laughter that accompany every Brazil training session certainly seem to indicate the strong bond and spirit in the squad.

The players have private bedrooms for the first time at a World Cup, having previously always shared with a team-mate, but they are said to keep the doors open and to mingle freely in the corridors.

As well as the video games, with Ronaldo regularly teased for his inability to repeat his natural golf technique on screen, the players also have six video cameras with which they are filming their tournament experiences.

Overall, there is a far more relaxed and open attitude towards the media, but there is also the realisation that they cannot allow their chance of success to slip through the fingers again as they did in 1998.

For Brazil to lift the trophy for the fifth time, the tournament's most potent attack - with 16 goals in six victories - must prevail against the best defence, with the inspired Oliver Kahn having let in just one goal in that time.

Ireland striker Robbie Keane is the only player to have beaten Kahn so far, but Ronaldo is convinced Brazil can succeed where so many others have failed.

He insisted: "So far he has proved that he is the hardest goalkeeper to score against, but the final is a different thing. We are going to try to find a way to beat him.

"Germany are a very good team as they are very concentrated. It is up to Brazil to break this concentration. We are saving our energy for the final."