EXPLAINED: Why Ronaldo wants to lead Brazil’s Football Federation

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo has confirmed that he wants to become the president of Brazil’s football governing body, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), to address the “deep crisis” in the country’s football.

In an interview with Globoesporte on Monday, Ronaldo explained that his main motivation is to restore international respect for Brazilian football. “I have hundreds of motivations, but the biggest one is to restore international respect to Brazilian football,” he said.

Ronaldo, known as “O Fenômeno,” said he wants to bring significant change to the CBF and help the national team regain its former glory as five-time world champions. “The Selecao has to recover its prestige,” Ronaldo stated. “I’ll do everything so that the players understand the historic importance of playing for the national team.”

Ronaldo, who scored twice in Brazil’s 2002 World Cup final victory over Germany and won the Ballon d’Or twice, believes Brazil’s national team can return to its past success. To run for president of the CBF, he needs support from regional clubs and federations across Brazil. He promised to travel around the country to share his “incredible plans” for improving football.

The next CBF election is expected to take place between March 2025 and March 2026, though the exact date has not been set.

Ronaldo criticized the current CBF leadership under Ednaldo Rodrigues, who has been criticized for hiring temporary coaches for the national team after Tite’s departure in 2022, while waiting for the arrival of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. However, Ronaldo emphasized that the problem goes beyond just Rodrigues, saying, “The problem is much deeper.” He added, “My goal is to bring the people closer to the Selecao. Today, the people are indifferent when the Selecao plays.”

Currently, Brazil’s national team is coached by Dorival Junior and is fifth in the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup, trailing seven points behind leaders Argentina.

Ronaldo also brings leadership experience to the table. In 2018, he took control of Spanish club Real Valladolid and later bought Brazilian club Cruzeiro, where he began his career. He sold his stake in Cruzeiro in April this year. Ronaldo mentioned he is in talks to sell his stake in Valladolid soon to avoid any conflicts with his CBF candidacy.

With his wealth of experience and passion for Brazilian football, Ronaldo is determined to lead the country’s football federation and bring back its former success.