Brazil’s football president Samir Xaud, elected unopposed last year, faces an affair and alleged misuse of federation funds after claims he flew a mistress to New York before the World Cup. The Brazilian football association (CBF) has denied the accusations as
Samir Xaud, the president of Brazil’s football federation, was supposed to be focused on the World Cup. Instead, days before kickoff, the centre of attention became his private life and what he allegedly paid for it with.
Xaud. 42. elected president unopposed last year. has been embroiled in an affair scandal after accusations that he used federation finances to fund international trips. The claims state that he flew his mistress to New York before traveling to Mexico City. where he met his wife for the World Cup opening ceremony last week.
The allegations also describe a New York stop that grew increasingly uncomfortable as the tournament began. Xaud was reportedly spotted wining and dining with a fitness entrepreneur in Manhattan just days before the World Cup kicked off. Camila Cristina Andrade. from the state of Roraima. was said to have stayed at the Hyatt Regency Grand Central for eight days. The report claims the reservation, alleged to have cost $11,500, was booked under Xaud’s name.
Photos published by Portal Leo Dias captured the pair at a dinner at Harry Cipriani. a Manhattan restaurant inside the Sherry-Netherland hotel on Fifth Avenue. The report says they later left the restaurant and got into a vehicle that was allegedly rented by the federation for the duration of Xaud’s trip.
Xaud is then alleged to have left Andrade in New York and returned to Fortaleza. Brazil. where the nation’s women’s team played the USA in a friendly on June 8. From that match in Fortaleza. he was said to have flown to Mexico City to reunite with his wife. Natalia. for the World Cup opening ceremony.
Xaud’s marriage is at the heart of the backlash. He has been married to Natalia for more than 20 years and shares three children with her, according to the report.
The controversy didn’t stop with New York. Portal Leo Dias also claimed it was not the first time Xaud used federation resources for personal travel. The outlet alleged that Xaud sent model and influencer Tamares Fernandes Barcellos to Qatar for a FIFA Intercontinental World Cup match in December 2025 at the federation’s expense. That trip. the report says. included a business class flight on Emirates and a four-day stay at the Ritz-Carlton Doha. with the hotel alone costing $3. 400 based on documents the outlet claims to have obtained.
The Brazilian football federation quickly pushed back. In a statement provided to Radio Itatiaia. the CBF said: “Expenses incurred by the entity are exclusively linked to the CBF’s institutional activities. and personal expenses of its directors are covered by themselves.” The federation added that its administration is “based on the pillars of transparency. administrative responsibility. and a commitment to integrity. ” and reiterated it “remains available for any further clarification.”.
The Daily Mail reached out to the federation for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response.
As the allegations intensified. Xaud reportedly paid the New York hotel charges on Sunday shortly after being contacted by Portal Leo Dias. the outlet noted. The CBF reportedly requested until 1pm local time on Tuesday, June 16, to provide further explanations about the remaining questioned expenses.
The timing has left a bruise on Brazil’s football focus. The controversy has overshadowed the start of Brazil’s World Cup campaign. which began with a 1-1 draw against Morocco in Group C at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Carlo Ancelotti’s side later secured their first tournament win with a 3-0 rout of Haiti in Philadelphia on Friday.
For now, the federation insists its spending is tied to institutional activities, while the claims outline a trail of overseas trips that appear to blur the line between official duty and personal life—right as Brazil is trying to build momentum on the biggest stage in football.
Samir Xaud CBF Brazil football president affair scandal Portal Leo Dias World Cup Morocco Haiti MetLife Stadium Fortaleza Mexico City Hyatt Regency Grand Central Ritz-Carlton Doha