- March 13, 2025
Ronaldo Fenomeno Backs Down From CBF Presidency Bid Citing Lack Of Support | Football News – News18
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The legendary two-time World Cup winner said he lacked support among local football executives to challenge incumbent Ednaldo Rodrigues for the role of leading the Brazil Football Confederation.
FILE – Ronaldo Nazario attends a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Aug. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
Brazil great Ronaldo Nazário has ended his bid for the presidency of his country’s football confederation.
The two-time World Cup winner turned businessman said Wednesday he lacked support among local football executives to challenge incumbent Ednaldo Rodrigues for the role of leading the Brazil Football Confederation.
The 48-year-old Ronaldo had announced in December he would challenge Rodrigues, whose management has been under fire among fans and former players, though Rodrigues still enjoys high approval among football executives.
The vote is expected to take place sometime between March and the same month next year, when Rodrigues’ term ends.
Ronaldo needed the support of at least four state federations to be allowed to run, but the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid star failed to do so.
“The federations refused to receive me in their headquarters, arguing that they were satisfied with the current management and supported (Rodrigues’) re-election,” Ronaldo said in his social media channels.
“I was unable to present my project, share my ideas and hear them as I would have liked,” he added. “There was no opening for dialogue whatsoever. It is clear that there’s no way to run. Most state executives support the incumbent president, it is their right and I respect that regardless of my beliefs.”
Rodrigues’ presidency has been marred by a legal dispute that sought to remove him from office. A Rio de Janeiro court ousted him in December 2023 for alleged irregularities in the election process at the CBF the year before, but one month later Brazil’s Supreme Court overruled it.
At the time, FIFA and South American soccer body CONMEBOL executives threatened to suspend Brazil from international competitions because of an alleged undue third-party interference of the judiciary at the top of the CBF.
During that short suspension, Rodrigues saw his biggest political gamble fail. He repeatedly said he had a deal with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti to take over Brazil in July, but the Italian extended his contract with Madrid until 2026. Dorival Jr. as national team coach.
Brazil, under Dorival Jr. as coach, is fifth in South American World Cup qualifying with 18 points after 12 matches. The top six teams in the region will secure automatic berths in the 2026 World Cup.
Rodrigues first took the job as interim president in 2021.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)
