SIGA lays out bold plan to modernize Brazilian soccer

Brazil’s Congress got a preview this week of what the future of the country’s most beloved sport could look like. Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, Global CEO of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) and Chair of SIGA Latin America, presented a sweeping set of reform proposals designed to drag Brazilian soccer into the modern era — and closer to the professional structures seen in Europe’s top leagues.

Speaking before the Sports Committee of the Brazilian Federal Congress, Macedo de Medeiros outlined the early findings of the Independent Study on the Future of Brazilian Soccer, commissioned by the Parliamentary Front for the Modernization of Brazilian Soccer and carried out by SIGA Sports Solutions. The study compares Brazil’s current system with the governance models used in major European leagues — including England’s Premier League, Spain’s LaLiga, and Italy’s Serie A — and identifies key steps to make Brazil’s game more transparent, sustainable, and self-governing.

Bright future for Brazilian soccer

A central recommendation is to establish, by law (ope legis), the constitution of the Brazilian Professional Soccer League as a private, non-profit legal entity with defined autonomy. In plain English, “ope legis” means putting the league’s status and powers explicitly into statute, so its authority is clear and enforceable, rather than relying only on bylaws or private agreements.

That structure, Macedo de Medeiros argued, would give Brazilian clubs the same independence and commercial clout that transformed European soccer in the 1990s.

The plan also recommends granting the league clear powers through legislation:

- To manage disciplinary matters internally.

- To oversee broadcasting and commercial rights and ensure fair revenue sharing among clubs.

- To establish solidarity systems linking professional and grassroots soccer.

- To negotiate collective labor agreements with players, coaches, and staff unions.

- To represent Brazilian professional soccer before international governing bodies.

Another pillar of the proposal focuses on integrity and oversight. SIGA calls for an internal supervisory body to monitor financial sustainability and governance standards, modeled after systems in France and Italy but insulated from political interference.

The hearing, organized by Congresswoman Laura Carneiro and Congressman Eduardo Bandeira de Mello, underscored the growing partnership between SIGA Latin America and Brazilian lawmakers. Macedo de Medeiros — who previously founded and led both the European Leagues (EPFL) and the World Leagues Association — was invited in recognition of his experience shaping professional soccer structures abroad.

According to SIGA, the study is now in its final phase and is meant to serve as an independent, technical blueprint to guide Brazil’s legislative and institutional reforms — with integrity and sustainability at the core.

Our newspaper is a proud media partner of SIGA.

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