The flag, the size of half a soccer pitch, is like a quilt made up of pieces of material signed by fans in various parts of Brazil and then sewn together by women who every year work on Brazilians' extravagant carnival costumes.

The players were presented with the flag yesterday before the day's training session, the first since their arrival in France on Friday, in which they played a game using the whole pitch at the Stade Des Trois Sapins in Ozoir east of Paris.

With both Romario and 1994 World Cup captain Dunga nursing injuries, the numbers were made up by amateur players of the local football team.

Brazil are concentrating on defence, which coach Mario Zagallo regards as their weak point.

Zagallo said there should be eight men back in defence leaving only the strike pair up front when their opponents have the ball.

Atpresent, with Romario nursing a pulled hamstring, Ronaldo and Bebeto are working out together up front and will lead the attack in the warm-up against Athletic Bilbao in northern Spain on Sunday.

But Romario, who has been joining in the physical training only, hopes to be fit for Brazil's World Cup opener against Scotland at the Stade de France in two weeks time.

Romario said he was prepared to join the squad in ball practice and no longer felt pain but team doctor Lidio Toledo considered it was too soon.