Brazil’s football legend wants to become head of the association

“Everyone is dissatisfied”

Football legend surprises with announcement

Brazilian football is in crisis. A big player now wants to help ensure that more successful times begin again.

The former world-class striker Ronaldo wants to replace the current incumbent Ednaldo Rodrigues as president of the Brazilian Football Association CBF. The 1994 and 2002 world champion announced his candidacy for the election, which will take place regularly in March 2026, in an interview with the Globo portal. “There has been a standstill for 20 years, with no prospects,” criticized the 48-year-old. “Everyone is dissatisfied.”

Rodrigues, now 70 years old, was accused of irregularities a good year ago, which are said to have led to his election in 2022. In the meantime, he had been removed from office by a court in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He was only returned to office through an injunction from the Supreme Court.

Due to legal imponderables, early elections are also possible from March 2025. “These administrative scandals, the injunctions, all of this is not helping Brazilian football. We have to be vigilant, see what is happening, what could happen and be prepared for the situation,” said Ronaldo. He emphasized that the association’s problems were much deeper than just Rodrigues.

The last time in Brazil that more than one candidate ran for president was in 1989. The incumbent Rodrigues, asked by Globo for a statement, said that the election process had not yet begun. This should then be carried out in a democratic and transparent manner.

In order to be officially admitted to the election, Ronaldo still needs the support of some national associations and clubs. He wants to convince them through a campaign. “What I experience most on the street is that people talk to me and ask me to play again because the national team’s situation is not the best at the moment, both on and off the field,” said the former world footballer .

Ronaldo would have to give up his shares in the Spanish first division club Real Valladolid as CBF president. But this was not a problem, he explained: “We are currently negotiating a possible sale and we should complete the deal. This will not be an obstacle to my candidacy.” He had already announced a sale of his club shares in April.