Brazil Football Chief Faces Claims of Using Federation Funds for Private Trips

Brazilian football is reeling after gossip columnist Léo Dias published allegations against federation president Samir Xaud, shortly after the 2026 World Cup began. Dias claims Xaud took his wife and a mistress to the tournament, placing the wife in Mexico and the mistress in New York without the wife knowing, and says this was not an isolated incident.

According to the report on Portal Leo Dias, businesswoman Camila Cristina Andrade, identified as Xaud’s mistress, spent eight days at the Hyatt Regency Grand Central in New York at a total cost of $10,500. Dias also published a photo of the two at a romantic dinner in Manhattan. The day after Andrade left New York, on June 10, Xaud flew to Mexico City and joined his wife Natalia, who attended the World Cup opening ceremony with him.

Dias says a similar case happened in December, when influencer and pharmacist Tamiris Fernandes Barcelos, known as Tete Barcelos, traveled from Rio de Janeiro to Doha for the Club World Cup final between Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain. She was reportedly suspected of being another mistress of Xaud. She flew business class on Emirates, stayed at the Ritz-Carlton from December 15 to 19, and while the booking was in her name, the 17,424 reais, about $3,429, were charged directly to the Brazilian federation. She also had VIP access to the final.

After the report was published on Monday night, Barcelos deleted her TikTok account and locked her Instagram. Dias says this reflects a pattern since Xaud took office in May 2025, when he was elected unopposed, and claims the federation has paid for many trips by friends, relatives, and mistresses. The Brazilian Football Confederation rejected the allegations, saying all its spending is strictly tied to institutional activity and that private expenses of officials are paid personally.