When I watch Brazil play Japan in the World Cup tonight, I will wish that I was playing. Every time I watch Brazil I wish I was on the pitch. But I will be in Brazil in time for the final and I hope it will be a big, big celebration for us.

I am taking two boys from the Brazilian Soccer Schools in Hong Kong - Ryan and Aska - to train and to watch the last games of the tournament in Brazil. I chose them because they train very hard and their discipline is very good.

There is an absolutely amazing atmosphere in Brazil during a World Cup tournament. The two boys will get to watch the final at a soccer club. I will also take them to see Brazilians kids playing football. It will be a great experience for them.

You should see the scenes in my home country when Brazil plays in a World Cup final. Oh my God, the people just go crazy. If Brazil wins, there is a week's holiday because people are so happy. It is very different from the way people view football in Hong Kong.

Here in Hong Kong, we have to work hard on the co-ordination of the children. I spend a lot of time concentrating on this. Youngsters in Hong Kong don't have a great deal of skill or co-ordination when they first play soccer.

The problem is that children in Hong Kong concentrate all their energy on school, school, school and then go straight home. They don't have a feeling for football. That has been my experience. It is very different with the kids from Brazil. Of course, school is very important in their life, but here school life is very hard.

When they come for training, the kids are very quiet. Sometimes they are scared to try. They don't do much sport and you have to go very easy on them at first. We have devised a special fitness programme and it has been very effective.

We are trying to change the mindset of children here. If you ask kids if they want to play football in the future they say: 'I don't know coach, I don't know because I have to go away to study.' I tell them: 'Why not play when you go overseas? Why not play in England or Japan? You have talent and you have to try.'

The difference in Brazil is that kids believe they can be footballers and one day be professionals. In Hong Kong, football is not a priority. But as children start to enjoy the game more, I hope the mindset will change.

I grew up in Rio de Janeiro. When I was 18, I played for one of the biggest teams in Brazil. After that I played in Peru. Then I came back and played in Sao Paulo and for six or seven teams in Brazil. Then I went to Hungary but it was very cold and I didn't like it.

I first came to Hong Kong about seven or eight years ago and after that I went back to Brazil, but I had to stop playing because I had a knee injury.

Every player dreams about playing for Brazil in the World Cup. My house is very close to the national team's headquarters and often when I go home to Brazil for a holiday, I train with the national team. I have trained with the national team five or six times and I trained with them in 2002 before they won the World Cup.

My career as a professional footballer is over now but I want to help youngsters like Ryan and Aska to realise their dreams and become great players.

As for this World Cup, obviously I hope Brazil will win it. I think Portugal is a great team with a good coach. Spain will do well. Then there is Argentina, which has a big rivalry with Brazil. Germany will be a threat because it is playing at home. England is OK but I do not think it will be among the top teams.