For days, rumors have been swirling that Ronaldo Nazário wants to become the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). He had previously hinted at his interest, but now the football legend has officially announced his preparations to contest the CBF presidency.
The election for the CBF president is set to take place between March 2025 and March 2026. By declaring his candidacy on Monday, Ronaldo has already set the tone for what promises to be an intense campaign.
To run for president, Ronaldo will need the backing of at least four state federations and four clubs. He has vowed to travel across Brazil to gather support, meeting with key stakeholders to secure their endorsements.
Following his illustrious football career, Ronaldo has taken ownership of multiple clubs. While he has already sold his stake in Brazilian club Cruzeiro, reports suggest he is also looking to offload Spanish club Real Valladolid. Currently, his sole focus is on the CBF presidency and restoring Brazil’s footballing pride.
The 2002 World Cup hero shared his passion for the mission, saying, “I feel a strong drive within me. The biggest motivation is to bring Brazilian football back to the global stage. People stop me on the street and tell me to come back to football because the national team is not in a good place right now. Nothing is right, on or off the field.”
Discussing his plans, the man known as “The Phenomenon” added, “One key part of my management will be to listen to former players and true heroes. My goal is to bring Brazil’s legendary footballers to the forefront. I want to turn the CBF into one of the most admired institutions in Brazil.”
The current president, Ednaldo Rodrigues, will see his term expire in March 2026, but the election process will open a year earlier, in March 2025. The lack of a fixed election date adds an extra challenge for Ronaldo, requiring him to prepare well ahead of time—a strategy the former Real Madrid star seems to have already adopted.
Addressing his next steps, Ronaldo continued, “Through this announcement, I want to send a message to club federation presidents that I am a candidate for the CBF presidency. I have a solid plan. Before anyone pledges their vote, I want to speak to them personally, understand their perspectives, and travel across Brazil to connect with everyone.”
Last month, reports first emerged of Ronaldo’s interest in the CBF presidency, with Sport revealing that his plan includes appointing Pep Guardiola as the head coach of the Brazilian national team.
Interestingly, Guardiola, currently enduring one of his toughest periods at Manchester City, has stated he does not plan to coach another club after leaving City. Now, the question remains: will Ronaldo fulfill his ambition of becoming CBF president? And if so, will Guardiola board a plane to Rio de Janeiro to take on the role? Only time will tell.
