Mike Collett

England will meet Brazil in the World Cup for the first time since that famous first round match, won 1-0 by Brazil against the defending champions, if the South Americans beat Belgium as expected in their second round game in Kobe on Monday.

England qualified for the quarter-finals on Saturday with a 3-0 defeat of Denmark and Beckham said the people's choice of opponents would obviously be Brazil.

"Last time we played them in the World Cup was 1970 and the memory that sticks in my mind from that was Bobby Moore changing shirts with Pele. Two great players like that -- two great nations," said Beckham.

"We'll be watching the game between Belgium and Brazil and you never know, there have been a lot of shocks in this World Cup.

"We are not worried about who we are going to play to be honest, we've done our job and we're not concerned about who we face next.

"But we are not getting carried away after reaching the second round, we haven't made any history yet and can't allow ourselves to get carried away.

"We'll let the people at home do that; they'll be enjoying themselves at the moment and so they should be."

Beckham was born in 1975, nearly five years after Brazil beat England and went on to win the World Cup with the greatest team in soccer history.

The match was not only memorable for the quality of its football but is also remembered for a superlative Gordon Banks save, denying Pele what seemed a certain goal from a header.

England coach Eriksson hinted that he would also relish the prospect of playing Brazil: "Samba football, it's always beautiful to see them play football, they seem to be born with a ball close to their feet."

Defender Rio Ferdinand, who was officially credited on Sunday with England's opening goal although the ball was fumbled over the line by Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, had an open mind about England's opponents in Friday's game in Shizuoka.

"Not fussed," he said. "I'm just happy to be there."