Change in statute authorizes Ednaldo Rodrigues to lead the entity until 2034, following the FIFA and Conmebol model
The approved double re-election for president, allowing up to 12 years of consecutive management at the helm of the entity. The change in statute was unanimously approved by the 27 state federations during the Extraordinary General Assembly held this Friday (Nov 8, 2024), in Rio de Janeiro. The change establishes that the president will be able to run for two re-elections after the first term, significantly extending the maximum period of stay in office.
The CBF’s previous statute limited the president’s tenure to just one re-election for a 4-year term, totaling 8 years of management. With the new rule approved, the elected leader will be able to run for two consecutive re-elections after his first term, as long as he meets the other statutory requirements and obtains approval from the electoral college.
The change could impact the current president of the CBF, who took office on an interim basis in August 2021 and was officially elected in March 2022. There is no consensus on whether his initial term, considered a buffer, is counted for re-election purposes. If not, the president may remain in charge of the entity until 2034. Furthermore, the STF is analyzing whether Rodrigues’ removal, established by the Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro on December 7, 2023, is valid. If it is maintained, a new election must be called. Otherwise, Rodrigues will continue in his position until the end of his term, scheduled for March 2026.
The approved statutory change aligns the CBF with practices already adopted by international entities such as the AEA (South American Football Confederation), which allow 3 consecutive terms for their presidents. Although the General Sports Law (Law 14,597/2023) establishes a limit of 2 terms for presidents of sports federations that receive public resources, the CBF is not subject to this restriction as it does not use public funds in its management.
During the assembly, other statutory updates were promoted, but none of them changed additional electoral rules.
In recent years, the CBF has faced several turbulences in its direction. In 2021, then-president Rogério Caboclo was removed after reports of moral and sexual harassment, leading to the interim management of Rodrigues, later elected president.
