Brazil’s Top Court Removes CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues, Orders New Elections

The president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues, has been removed from office by order of the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice, which ruled on Thursday that his 2022 election was based on a legally flawed agreement. As reported by EFE, Judge Gabriel Zefiro found irregularities surrounding the signature of Antônio Carlos Nunes de Lima—also known as Coronel Nunes—on the foundational document.

Nunes, diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2018, was deemed incapable of consciously endorsing the agreement. The judge stated that the evidence “leads inescapably to the conclusion” that Nunes had long been unable to express his will knowingly.

The court appointed CBF vice president Fernando Sarney—ironically one of the original whistleblowers—as interim administrator and tasked him with organizing new elections. The decision comes just three days after Rodrigues unveiled Carlo Ancelotti as Brazil’s new head coach, casting doubt on the immediate future of that appointment.

Rodrigues was reelected unopposed in March for a new term spanning 2026 to 2030. He had scheduled Ancelotti’s official presentation for May 26, ahead of the coach’s first squad announcement for World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in early June. The federation now faces uncertainty just weeks before key fixtures.