Ronaldo’s Vision: Pep Guardiola as Brazil’s National Team Coach?

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário has expressed his dream of seeing Pep Guardiola take charge of the Selecao as part of his plans for the Brazilian Football Confederation presidency.

Ronaldo recently announced his intention to run for the CBF presidency though the election date has yet to be confirmed.

Speaking to ESPN, the former Real Madrid and Barcelona striker emphasized the need for top tier coach to lead Brazil’s football development: "Whoever comes in must play pivotal role in the progress of Brazilian football. I want them to be actively involved in this transformation."

Guardiola's Struggles at Manchester City

Guardiola who has been linked to the Brazil job before, is currently enduring turbulent season with Manchester City, having fallen out of contention for the Premier League title and exiting the Champions League in the playoff round of 16.

Despite his struggles in england, Ronaldo remains intrigued by the idea of securing Guardiola as Brazil’s next manager, he remained diplomatic when asked about this possibility: "I'd love to discuss everything I'm doing, at this moment shifting focus from Brazilian football’s main issues will not help."

Brazil’s Qualification Struggles

Currently under Dorival Júnior, Brazil sits 5th in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, trailing leaders Argentina by 8 point after suffering 4 defeats in 12 match.

Six teams will qualify directly, while the 7th placed team will enter the intercontinental playoff. Ronaldo refused to blame the national team’s struggles solely on Dorival Júnior, instead pointing to the tight international schedule as major obstacle: "Coaches barely get 2 or 3 day to train players before crucial matches. The schedule is harsh on both players and coaches."

A New Era for Brazilian Coaches?

Ronaldo also addressed Brazil’s increasing reliance on foreign coaches and expressed his commitment to revitalizing local coaching talent. He acknowledged that Brazil has fallen behind, emphasizing the need for improved training programs for Brazilian managers: "We need to elevate coach development. The CBF Academy's doing well but we must multiply its impact twentyfold. We're discussing foreign coaches because we haven't trained enough of our own."

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.