(Reuters) – Former U.S. Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro on Wednesday confirmed he plans to run again for the position he resigned from under pressure two years ago after a legal filing that was widely condemned as misogynistic.
Cordeiro announced his decision via a website where he said members across the federation approached him with concerns about the direction of U.S. Soccer and asked him to consider running for president.
“I’m running for U.S. Soccer President because I believe that the years ahead will be the most important period in the history of our federation,” Cordeiro wrote.
“We need to prepare to host the FIFA World Cup 2026—the largest World Cup ever and one of the most complex global sporting events ever held. The eyes of the world will be upon us, and we need to be ready to shine.
“I believe we should bring a Women’s World Cup to the United States as soon as possible as well.”
Cordeiro, a business executive with more than 30 years of experience in international finance, succeeded Sunil Gulati as president of U.S. Soccer after being elected in February 2018 following three rounds of voting.
He resigned in March 2020 after the organisation sparked a backlash when legal papers in a gender discrimination lawsuit claimed the men’s national team players had a greater level of responsibility than the women’s team and that their job required more skill based on speed and strength.
On his campaign website, Cordeiro said stepping down as president was “deeply humbling” and that he had put in place multiple layers of oversight to ensure the litigation with the women’s team was conducted in keeping with the values of U.S. Soccer.
“In hindsight, I realize that a matter of this importance deserved much more personal oversight from me so that the Federation’s legal strategy and filings showed our women’s players the respect and dignity they deserve,” wrote Cordeiro.
“When those layers of oversight failed, it resulted in the inexcusable and offensive legal filing that caused so much pain, especially for our incredible women’s players. Had I seen that language, I would have objected and never allowed it to be submitted as written.”
Cordeiro, born in 1956 to a Colombian mother and a Portuguese-Indian father, has served various roles with U.S. Soccer since being appointed as the federation’s first independent director in 2007.
He has been treasurer, chaired the budget committee, and been director of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. In addition, he represents the United States on the CONCACAF Council and FIFA’s Stakeholders Committee.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)
