Ronaldo To Run For Brazil Federation Presidency

Brazilian football icon Ronaldo Nazário has announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF), aiming to “recover the prestige” of the national team and reignite its connection with fans.

The 48-year-old, who was capped 98 times for Brazil and is a two-time World Cup winner (1994 and 2002), plans to succeed the current CBF president, Ednaldo Rodrigues, whose term concludes in March 2026. The elections are slated to take place within the 12 months leading up to that date.

Ronaldo’s decision comes at a time when Brazil’s national team has struggled to meet expectations on the global stage. Despite being record five-time World Cup champions, Brazil hasn’t won the tournament since 2002 and hasn’t advanced beyond the quarter-finals in recent editions, including their 2022 exit against Croatia.

Speaking to Globo Esporte, Ronaldo said:
“For many decades, Brazilian football was the escape route for the Brazilian people when they faced daily struggles. It was their fuel. Today, we see a total lack of interest from the population in the national team.

“Among hundreds of reasons that motivate me to run for president of the CBF is to restore the prestige and respect the national team once commanded but now lacks.”

Ronaldo, who is second on the all-time World Cup scoring list with 15 goals in 19 appearances, highlighted Brazil’s immense pool of talent, including stars like Vinícius Jr., Neymar, Rodrygo, and rising prospects Estevão and Endrick. He stressed the need to capitalize on this talent:
“Brazil has to be a protagonist in the World Cup, in the Copa América. It’s unacceptable for the talent we have to not translate into dominance. We need to change this dynamic.”

In his bid to focus fully on the presidency, Ronaldo has pledged to sell his stake in La Liga club Real Valladolid, a team he has owned since 2018.

The Brazilian football community has received Ronaldo’s announcement with anticipation, as his international career spanned 17 illustrious years, including two Copa América titles and an Olympic bronze medal. His vision for change reflects a desire to reconnect Brazilian football with its roots and bring the Seleção back to its glory days.