Ronaldinho, Rivaldo Get Backlash After Supporting Bolsonaro

Brazilian soccer players Ronaldo de Assis Moreira aka Ronaldinho and Vítor Borba Ferreira Gomes, better known as Rivaldo were under fire in recent days after they made public their support for the homophobic and racist presidential candidate Jair Messias Bolsonaro, who came first with 46 percent of the vote for the first round.

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Many people raised their voice on social media arguing that the far-right party Social Liberal Party represented by Bolsonaro did not defend the rights of the 97 million Afro-Brazilian citizens living in the country, including Ronaldinho and Rivaldo.

Ronaldinho had previously said on Twitter, “For a better Brazil, I wish peace, security and someone who would make us happy again. I chose to live in Brazil, and I want a better Brazil for all!” along with a photo showing him wearing a soccer shirt with the number 17 — referring to Bolsonaro’s electoral list. Bolsonaro thanked Ronaldinho for the support and reposted the soccer player’s post on Twitter.

As for Rivaldo, he wrote in an Instagram post that “your vote will be choosing a president, not a father. We need him to solve the problems of our country, not to teach us values, this is something we have to learn at home and at school.”

A social media user criticized his comment, opposing him to former soccer legend Socrates, known for publicly rejecting the military dictatorship in the 1980s, including on the day of the vote.