Ronaldo the "phenomenon" will run for the presidency of the Brazilian Football Federation: We will return the prestige of the Brazilian national team

The 48-year-old, who has played 98 games for the Seleçao, will run to replace current president Ednaldo Rodrigues, whose term ends in March 2026. Presidential elections are due 12 months ahead.

Brazil, a record five-time World Cup winners, last won the competition in 2002 and have not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage since.

"For many decades, Brazilian football has always been the lifeline for the Brazilian people when they faced daily problems. This was the fuel of the Brazilian people and today we see a total lack of interest from the population for the national team," Ronaldo told Globo Esporte.

"Among the hundreds of things that motivate me to become a candidate for CBF president is to recover the prestige and respect that the national team has always had like no other national team," added the phenomenon.

Ronaldo, a World Cup winner in 1994 and 2002, is second on the list of all-time World Cup goalscorers behind Germany's Miroslav Klose with 15 goals in 19 appearances. The former Real Madrid forward's international career spanned 17 years and included two Copa America titles and an Olympic bronze medal.

Brazil have won the Copa America just once since Ronaldo retired in 2011 and were most recently knocked out of the 2022 World Cup by Croatia in the quarter-finals.

"We have the best players, we have Vinicius Jr, Neymar, Rodrygo, Estevao, Endrick... we have a lot of talent, how can we not play well? We need to change this dynamic. Brazil must be the protagonist in the World Cup, in the America's Cup, it cannot lose the Olympics. It is unacceptable for the talent we have", said Ronaldo.

Nazario will have to sell his stake in Spanish club Real Valladolid if he wins the presidential election of the Brazilian Football Federation.

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