Photo credit: www.bbc.com
Ronaldo Withdraws from Candidacy for CBF President
Brazilian football icon Ronaldo has stepped back from his bid to become president of the country’s football association amidst what he describes as a lack of support for his candidacy. The 48-year-old former striker, who earned 98 caps for the Brazilian national team, was poised to challenge current Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues.
Rodrigues is set to remain in office until March 2026, with presidential elections scheduled within the next year. Ronaldo’s initial announcement to run included a commitment to “recover the prestige” of the national squad, which boasts a record five World Cup victories.
Despite Brazil’s storied football history, including a World Cup win in 2002 and a semi-final appearance in 2014, Ronaldo’s path to the presidency has become challenging. He cited that 23 out of 27 regional federations expressed support for Rodrigues, effectively closing the door on his campaign.
In a statement via his social media, Ronaldo reflected on his outreach efforts, noting, “On my first contact with the 27 regional federations, I found 23 closed doors.” He claimed these federations declined to engage further, indicating their satisfaction with the incumbent administration.
The voting structure for the CBF presidency significantly favors the federations, as each is allotted three votes. In contrast, Brazil’s Serie A clubs receive two votes, while Serie B sides earn one. Ronaldo acknowledged the authority of federation leaders to back their preferred candidates but expressed disappointment at the apparent lack of willingness to engage in discussions.
He stated, “The statute gives the federations the strongest vote, so it’s clear that there’s no way I can run. I was unable to present my project, put forward my ideas and listen to them as I would have liked.” Given these circumstances, Ronaldo’s withdrawal signals a likely unopposed re-election for Rodrigues.
A World Cup champion in both 1994 and 2002, Ronaldo ranks second in the tournament’s all-time scoring charts, netting 15 goals in 19 appearances. His illustrious international career also included two Copa America titles and an Olympic bronze medal. Since his retirement from international play in 2011, Brazil has claimed the Copa America title just once and faced a quarter-final exit in the 2022 World Cup against Croatia.
Source
www.bbc.com