Football Legend Ronaldo Announces Bid for Brazil Federation Presidency

Brazilian football icon Ronaldo has declared his intention to seek the presidency of the nation’s football governing body, stating his desire to “recover the prestige” of the national team. The 48-year-old, who made 98 international appearances, will stand as a candidate to succeed Ednaldo Rodrigues, the current president of the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF). Brazil, which holds the record with five World Cup victories, secured its last title in 2002 and has not advanced beyond the quarter-finals since then. Ronaldo stated to Globo Esporte that “For many decades, Brazilian football has always been the escape route for the Brazilian people when they faced daily problems.” He added, “This was the fuel of the Brazilian people and today we see a total lack of interest from the population in the national team.” Ronaldo further explained, “Among hundreds of things that motivate me to become a candidate for president of the CBF is to recover this prestige and respect that the national team has always had and that no-one else has today.” The tenure of President Rodrigues is set to conclude in March 2026, with the presidential elections mandated to occur within the 12 months preceding that date. Ronaldo, who won the World Cup in both 1994 and 2002, ranks second among the tournament’s all-time leading scorers, trailing only Germany’s Miroslav Klose. He achieved this with 15 goals in 19 matches. The former Real Madrid forward’s career with the national team lasted 17 years, during which he also secured two Copa America titles and an Olympic bronze medal. Since Ronaldo’s retirement from international football in 2011, Brazil has claimed the Copa America title only once and was eliminated from the 2022 World Cup by Croatia at the quarter-final stage. Ronaldo remarked, “We have the best players, we have [Vinicius Jr], Neymar, Rodrygo, Estevao, Endrick… we have a lot of talent, how can we not play well?” He continued, “We have to change this dynamic. Brazil has to be a protagonist in the World Cup, in the Copa America, it can’t miss out on the Olympics. It’s unacceptable for the talent we have.” In connection with his presidential campaign, Ronaldo stated his intention to divest his ownership stake in the La Liga club Real Valladolid.