Brazilian football legend Ronaldo has withdrawn from the race for the presidency of the country’s football federation, citing “closed doors” to his candidacy.
The 48-year-old, who earned 98 caps for Brazil, had planned to challenge Ednaldo Rodrigues, the current president of the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF). Rodrigues’ term runs until March 2026, with elections required to take place within the next year.
When announcing his initial intention to run, Ronaldo pledged to “restore the prestige” of the national team. However, he has now decided to step aside, citing widespread support for Rodrigues among Brazil’s regional federations.
“On my first contact with the 27 regional federations, I found 23 closed doors,” Ronaldo stated on social media. “The federations refused to meet with me, expressing satisfaction with the current administration and support for Rodrigues’ re-election.”
Brazil’s voting system heavily favors regional federations, which each have three votes, compared to two votes for each of the 20 top-flight Serie A clubs and one vote for each of the 20 second-tier Serie B clubs.
Acknowledging the challenge, Ronaldo said he respected the federation leaders’ right to back Rodrigues but was disappointed by the lack of opportunity for dialogue.
“The statute gives the federations the strongest vote, making it impossible for me to run,” he added. “I was unable to present my project, share my ideas, or listen to them as I had hoped.”
With Ronaldo stepping aside, Rodrigues is now expected to run unopposed in next year’s election.
A World Cup winner in 1994 and 2002, Ronaldo is the second-highest scorer in the tournament’s history, netting 15 goals in 19 appearances. His illustrious international career spanned 17 years and included two Copa America titles and an Olympic bronze medal.
Since Ronaldo’s international retirement in 2011, Brazil has won just one Copa America title and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup by Croatia.
