Pele's daughter slams Brazilian football management, calls system 'broken'

Kelly Nascimento, daughter of football legend Pele, has launched a strong attack on the management of Brazilian football. She linked years of administrative problems to the national team's declining performance in major tournaments.

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Our football is broken

In an interview with Reuters, Nascimento described the system as "broken." She emphasized that a lack of transparency and accountability has created an insular environment where problems are known but no one takes responsibility for addressing them. Despite Brazil continuing to produce world-class players, she argued that the national team's repeated failures reveal deeper systemic issues.

Nascimento pointed to Brazil's elimination by Norway in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup as a prime example. This defeat marked the first time the Selecao failed to reach the quarterfinals since 1990. She also recalled that Brazil's last World Cup victory was in 2002.

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The lack of transparency and accountability has created a closed environment, where problems are known, but no one takes responsibility for addressing them.

She revealed that her father had often expressed concern about the direction of Brazilian football, noting that countries like France have developed more modern and effective management models. Nascimento also spoke positively about foreign investors entering traditional Brazilian clubs, citing John Textor's Botafogo as an example. She suggested that the increased transparency and accountability accompanying such investments could be a significant step toward improving Brazilian football, despite some initial resistance.

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Countries like France have developed more modern and effective management models.