Brazilian football icon Ronaldo has declared his intention to run for the presidency of the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF), with the aim of “recovering the prestige” of the national team. The 48-year-old, a two-time World Cup winner and one of the country’s most celebrated players, will challenge for the top job currently held by Ednaldo Rodrigues.
Ronaldo, who earned 98 caps for Brazil, expressed his concern about the decline in interest in the national team among the Brazilian people. “For many decades, Brazilian football has always been the escape route for the Brazilian people when they faced daily problems,” he told Globo Esporte. “This was the fuel of the Brazilian people and today we see a total lack of interest from the population in the national team.”
The former Real Madrid striker attributed his decision to run for the CBF presidency to his desire to restore the national team’s prestige and respect. “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,” he said.
Ronaldo’s candidacy comes at a time when Brazil’s national team has been underperforming, having not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage of the World Cup since their last title in 2002. The team’s recent performances have been marred by disappointment, including their quarter-final exit at the hands of Croatia in the 2022 World Cup.
Despite the challenges, Ronaldo remains optimistic about the team’s potential, citing the wealth of talent at their disposal. “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 asked. “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.”
As part of his bid for the presidency, Ronaldo has announced that he will sell his stake in La Liga side Real Valladolid. The presidential elections are expected to take place within the next 12 months, ahead of Rodrigues’ term expiration in March 2026.
