Soccer: Readers vote for best

World champions Brazil want an end to the debate over how the team compares with their other great sides of the past.

The Brazilian media enjoy speculating over whether the 2006 team could beat the 1982 or 1970 teams, considered the other top Brazil sides. Pele fuelled the debate when he was quoted as saying that the 1970 side would have beaten the 2006 side.

"Our forwards are more organised than them, we have a better attack. If Ronaldo was in shape, he might have made our team, Ronaldinho and Kaka, too, Emerson maybe."

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said, "I find it very difficult in comparing different eras."

But the Estado do Sao Paulo newspaper's website invited readers to vote between Pele's team and Parreira's. Of around 1500 voters, 56.7 per cent preferred the 1970 team.