According to reports, Brazilian Football Association president Samir Xaud is under scrutiny after claims about a pre-World Cup trip to New York City that has raised more than a few eyebrows.
And yes, the internet has done what it always does. It turned a travel story into a full-blown soap opera.
Xaud, who was elected unopposed last year to lead the Brazilian Football Confederation, is now being discussed for reasons that have nothing to do with tactics, formations, or football development plans.
According to Brazilian outlet Portal Leo Dias, Xaud allegedly flew a fitness entrepreneur, Camila Cristina Andrade, to New York before heading to Mexico City, where he later met his wife for the tournament’s opening ceremony.
That sentence alone sounds like it belongs in a streaming drama series.
In New York City, the world’s unofficial capital of “anything can happen,” reports suggest the FA president was seen dining and spending time in upscale settings. The kind of places where the lighting is perfect, the menus are overpriced, and nobody is there to talk about football governance.
Camila Cristina Andrade, who is from the state of Roraima, reportedly stayed at the Hyatt Regency Grand Central, a four-star hotel next to the city’s iconic station, for eight days.
What’s more, the reservation, which allegedly cost $11,500, is said to have been booked under Xaud’s name, according to the report.
In photos published by the outlet, the pair were captured appearing to enjoy a cozy dinner at Harry Cipriani – a Manhattan staple in the famous Sherry-Netherland hotel on Fifth Avenue – on June 3.
They were reportedly spotted exiting the ritzy restaurant and leaving in a vehicle, which is said to have been rented by the federation for the duration of Xaud’s trip.
Xaud is then alleged to have left Andrade in the Big Apple to return to Fortaleza, Brazil, where the nation’s women’s team faced the USA in a friendly on June 8.
From the international game in Fortaleza, Xaud is said to have jetted to Mexico City where he reunited with his wife Natalia for the World Cup opening ceremony.
The trip reportedly happened just before the World Cup kicked off, which instantly added fuel to the already growing online commentary fire. And then the alleged use of federation funds for such trips.
The claims took another wild twist when the outlet alleged it was not the first time that the president had used federation funds on personal trips abroad.
Portal Leo Dias also claimed 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, which included a business class flight on Emirates and a stay at the Ritz-Carlton Doha for four days, cost a total of $3,400 for the hotel alone, according to documents obtained by Portal Leo Dias.
The Brazil FA has denied the allegations as it continues to focus on tournament duties on paper, while the noise outside the pitch grows louder by the hour.
Flip to the next page for Camila Cristina Andrade’s thirst traps…
