RIO DE JANEIRO — No one epitomizes the ups and downs of Brazilian soccer quite like Ricardo Teixeira.
As the leader of Brazil’s powerful soccer federation for more than 20 years, Mr. Teixeira helped the country land the 2014 World Cup. But as public rage erupted over spending for the tournament, demonstrators burned his effigy — replete with his signature jowls, sturdy frame and tailored suit — in street protests.
Even after his resignation in 2012 amid claims of illicit enrichment, Mr. Teixeira, 68, kept a high profile. Shuttling among luxurious homes in Monaco, Miami and Rio de Janeiro, he became a symbol for both the excesses of the Brazilian sports world and the failings of Brazil’s legal system in prosecuting corruption.