The star officially joined the Brazilian Republican party which has links to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Brazilian football star Ronaldinho – who shone for Barcelona and PSG and memorably scored from a free-kick to knock England out of the 2002 World Cup – has joined a conservative Brazilian political party linked to a powerful evangelical church and may even stand for congress.



The 38-year-old, whose real name is Ronaldo Assis Moreira, officially joined the Brazilian Republican party on Tuesday afternoon.

Known as the PRB, the party was set up with help from the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God – an influential evangelical church with operations worldwide – and defends family values.

“Many political parties are seeking out famous persons who are famous in other areas, like football, to become candidates,” said David Fleischer, emeritus professor of political science at the University of Brasília. “The PRB is an evangelical party.”

Wanderley Tavares, the PRB’s president for the Federal District of Brasília, said he talked Ronaldinho into joining after an introduction from a mutual friend.

“He said to me, ‘I have already realised many dreams in my football career here in Brazil and abroad,” Tavares said, explaining that this was his way to repay the affection of the Brazilian people.

The star remained silent during a 90-minute affiliation ceremony on Tuesday in Brasília, according to local media reports.

Tavares said the Universal Church of God helped gather signatures when the party was being founded over a decade ago but is no longer directly linked.

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The party’s most famous politician is Marcelo Crivella, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, and the nephew of the Universal Church’s controversial founder, Bishop Edir Macedo – who has faced down a number of scandals and was briefly jailed in 1992.

In 2011, São Paulo federal prosecutors charged Macedo and three other church bosses with money laundering, illegally sending money abroad, racketeering, embezzlement and misrepresentation. Macedo is yet to be tried for the charge of money laundering, the other charges have since expired or rejected in court, a spokesman for the prosecutors said.

Crivella, also a bishop, has been loudly criticised for slashing funding for Rio carnival, with samba schools and revellers using costumes and chants to attack and ridicule him during this year’s festivities, which he did not attend.

In contrast, Ronaldinho so much enjoyed Rio carnival that in 2011, while playing for the Rio club Flamengo, he created his own samba street party. His Rio mansion featured a full-sized bar and stage.



“His life is a party,” said Juca Kfouri, a celebrated football commentator. “I have never heard an idea from him for the [benefit of the] country.”



Tavares discounted local media reports that Ronaldinho would stand as senator or federal deputy for the party in October’s elections, saying his sponsorship and World Cup commitments would not allow it.



“But nothing is impossible,” he said.