"This criterion is completely wrong," he told reporters at Brazil's mountain retreat near Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday.

"We have to travel here, there and everywhere and it's a tremendous sacrifice."

Five-times champions Brazil launch the defense of their crown away to Colombia on Sunday in the steamy Caribbean port of Barranquilla. Three days later, they play their second qualifier at home to Ecuador in Manaus, on the banks of the Amazon river.

The South American team will play 18 qualifiers over the next 30 months as they attempt to maintain their record of being the only country to have played at every World Cup.

Until now, the defending champions have always been guaranteed an automatic place at the finals, but FIFA decided to change the rules before the last World Cup.

However left-back Roberto Carlos, who like Rivaldo made transatlantic trips virtually every month to play in the qualifying competition for 2002, is confident Brazil would regain their best form.

"The first image is the one that stays," he said. "This is the first step for the 2006 World Cup. The prestige of the five-times world champions is at stake.

"Brazil only lose to themselves. If we play as we did at the last World Cup, it will be very difficult to beat us."

Carlos added that motivation would be sky-high.

"It's only when you're part of it that you understand what the Brazilian national team is all about," he said.

"We're not short of enthusiasm. I'm proud to be part of the team. When the CBF [Brazilian Football Confederation] arrives at my house, I jump up and down with happiness.

"The first thing I did when I got here was to look at the badge of the CBF to see if they had put on the fifth star," he added, referring to the stars which each symbolize a World Cup title.

Meanwhile, Brazil captain Cafu said on Wednesday that he wanted to emulate Pele by playing in his third World Cup winning team and his fourth finals.

The AC Milan star said that the possibility of chasing Pele's records kept him motivated.

"How could I not be motivated if I'm equalling Pele's records for Brazil and I could even beat them," he said.

"Football is my motivation."

Cafu played in the Brazil team which beat Italy on penalties after a goalless draw in the 1994 World Cup final, lost 3-0 to France four years later and captained the side which beat Germany 2-0 to win a fifth world title in 2002.

He will be 36 when the 2006 World Cup is played and is already the only player to have taken part in three World Cup finals.

Pele won World Cup winners medals in 1958, 1962 and 1970, although he missed the 1962 final against Czechoslovakia because of injury.

He also played in 1966 when Brazil were knocked out in the first round.

"I want to play the same number of World Cups as Pele and increase my number of caps for the team," Cafu added.