Former Brazil striker Ronaldo will run for the presidency of the country’s football confederation (CBF), the 48-year-old said on Monday.
Ronaldo, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 and 2002, will run as a candidate in the CBF elections to replace current president Ednaldo Rodrigues in 2026.
Brazil’s last World Cup win was in that 2002 edition, and though they have won the Copa America three times since then, the nation’s perceived success hinges more on their performances on the world stage. The Selecao finished fourth when they hosted the tournament in 2014, and that is their best finish since lifting the trophy in 2002.
“Among hundreds of things that motivate me to become a candidate for president of the CBF, I want to recover this prestige and respect that the Selecao always had and today nobody else has,” Ronaldo told Globo Esporte.
“People often stop me and ask me to return because the situation of the Seleçao is not the best right now.
“My legacy as a player is undeniable, but I feel I have a duty to continue in the football industry and help Brazil get out of where we are. We have been stuck for 20 years,” he added.
The former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid forward currently also said he expects to sell his stake in Spanish top-flight side Real Valladolid.
“We’re negotiating a possible sale very soon and we should close the deal. It won’t be an obstacle to my candidacy,” he added.
Ronaldo previously owned a 90 per cent stake in Brazilian team Cruzeiro, which he sold earlier this year.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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