The Brazilian national team is at risk of being excluded from participating in international tournaments following the removal of Ednaldo Rodrigues from the presidency of the local football federation. A source in the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) informed Agence France-Presse on Monday that "CONMEBOL" and the international federation "FIFA" will not tolerate any external interference in the internal affairs of the Brazilian federation and will not hesitate to suspend Brazil if Ednaldo Rodrigues is not reinstated as president. The source, who requested anonymity, stated that "the laws are clear and explicit. There must be no external interference in the jurisdiction of the respective federations."
Rodrigues was dismissed from his position on the 7th of this month following a court decision that annulled the agreement that allowed for his election. This court ruling invalidated an agreement between the Brazilian federation and the public prosecutor’s office in Rio de Janeiro, dating back to March 2022, which subsequently permitted Rodrigues to be elected to head the federation until 2026.
FIFA and CONMEBOL have decided to send a mission to Rio de Janeiro, which will begin its work on January 8, in an effort to find a solution to the crisis. According to Brazilian media, the Brazilian federation received a letter signed by FIFA member Keni Jean Marie and another from South American confederation member Montserrat Jiménez Granda on December 24, insisting strongly that "no decisions should be made regarding the Brazilian federation, especially elections," before January 8. If this is not adhered to, FIFA will have no choice but to ask its relevant body to handle the matter, which could lead to "the suspension of Brazil's membership."
The letter stated that such a suspension of the Brazilian federation would mean the exclusion of Brazilian teams, national squads, and clubs from all international competitions. The Brazilian team is currently participating in the qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup and is set to compete in the Copa América tournament in the summer of 2024.
