Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told his countrymen on Monday to forget the early elimination from this year's World Cup and look ahead to 2014 when Brazil will host the monthlong tournament.

Silva tried to cheer the country in his weekly radio address, which was recorded in the west African country of Equatorial Guinea. He is on a tour of Africa, which will conclude when he attends the World Cup final on Sunday. Of course, he had hoped to see Brazil playing. Instead, the five-time champions were beaten 2-1 in the quarterfinals on Friday by the Netherlands.

Silva said Brazil still played the world's best football, and he predicted a sixth title in 2014.

"Crying over spilled milk is for those who are not used to winning," Silva said. "Brazil is used to winning. Brazil is a five-time World Cup champion and it's the country with the world's best football."

Silva will participate in Sunday's hand-over ceremony, when South African organisers pass responsibility for the next World Cup to Brazil.

"We can be sorry only because Brazil didn't win," Silva said. "But we have to lift our heads and prepare ourselves to win the 2014 World Cup. I want to be alive to participate in the opening ceremony and the party when we win our sixth title."

This marked the second straight time that Brazil has been knocked out in the quarterfinals, which prompted the firing Sunday of national team coach Dunga.

"I imagined that Brazil was going to play in the final, but it didn't happen," Lula said.

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