Pele and Maradona to parade before opening match

By Timothy Collings

MUNICH (Reuters) – A total of 170 World Cup-winning players
including Pele and Diego Maradona will parade at the Allianz
Arena before Friday’s opening match between Germany and Costa
Rica.

The pre-match ceremony will see also Pele, who won the
World Cup three times with Brazil, and German super-model
Claudia Schiffer carry the World Cup trophy into the stadium.

The tournament will be opened officially by Germany’s
chancellor Angela Merkel, following a welcome speech by the
president Horst Koehler, said FIFA president Sepp Blatter on
Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference, Blatter said Merkel would
also attend the 56th FIFA Congress which opens on Wednesday.

He said it was FIFA’s idea to invite all the players who
had won the World Cup since 1930 to the opening parade. “As far
as I know, 170 have said they will be there,” said Blatter.

Juan Schiaffino, 80, who scored for Uruguay in the 1950
final, is expected to be in the parade.

The entire 22-man squad of Germany’s triumphant 1974
campaign will also be together at the event which, according to
weather forecasts in Bavaria, will be blessed by the return of
summer after days of cold and wet conditions.