Ronaldo eyes Mueller's World Cup scoring record
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-01-12 10:58

LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Ronaldo has his sights set on the all time World Cup scoring record of 14 goals although he puts a sixth Brazil victory top of his priorities.

"This is a big goal for me. It is a record to beat and to get into history and it would be difficult to better," he said.

"It is an important achievement and for a player to beat this mark he has to play in three, four World Cups and that's not easy," he told Reuters in an interview in Munich, Germany this week.

Gerd Mueller, who scored 14 goals for West Germany in the 1970 and 1974 finals currently tops the scoring charts followed by Just Fontaine with 13 then Ronaldo and Pele the next highest scorers in the finals with 12 goals each.

However he emphasised his main ambition this summer is to lead Brazil to victory in the final.

"The main objective is to win the World Cup," he said at the launching of a new boot he helped design for Nike sports goods manufacturers.

"If I had to lose to anybody, I hope it would be to Adriano because he is my friend and plays for Brazil but we must not be beaten by the others," added Ronaldo, top scorer with eight goals in the 2002 tournament when Brazil won the World Cup for the fifth time.

Ronaldo and Adriano will both be vying for places in an outstanding Brazilian team favoured to retain their title in the June 9-July 9 finals in Germany.

Asked which team could win the title, he said: "(The favourites) are always the traditional nations. I don't believe in surprises at the World Cup. Surprises happen in the first stage, then it doesn't happen again."

Ronaldo said he was not feeling at his best due to an injury to his right calf muscle that has sidelined him for three weeks but said he was pleased to have had a part in the development of the new boot.