OSLO: Rafaela Pimenta instantly lights up the room with her generous smile. Her life has taken her from working for the Brazilian government to the corridors of power in the world's most popular sport.
These days, she wants to see youngsters off drugs, off roblox and off WhatsApp hate groups. It's one of the reasons why she decided to join hands with Erling Haaland to invest in chess. But, first and foremost, Pimenta, the Norwegian forward's agent, wants to address the rampant discrimination she still sees in football. Even after working her way up the ladder for the last three decades. Even in 2026. So, as the world's most influential football men, both on and off the field, gather in the US, Canada and Mexico for the biggest sporting event on the planet, the most powerful woman in the game today has a message to the footballing community.
"Men will want to marry women," she tells this daily. "They will want women to have their kids. But no, you cannot do football. Honestly, I couldn't care less at this point."
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It's depressing that football is still dealing with issues like sexism and patriarchy but it's why voices like Pimenta's carry extra weightage. In an industry built by men for men and dominated by men, she is an outlier, trying to hold the mirror.
"It's really male dominated and it was even worse when I started," she says. "I don't know if it got better or if it was because I got into a certain position that people will not say it to my face any more. It's difficult for me to judge but it got easier for me. What I hope is that it gets easier for all women and that's one of the reasons for me to be here.
"There are many men in my field that are conscious that women can do the job but they use the fact that we are women as a way to try and imbalance us, make us feel weak. I think it's also a game to push us back. What I hope is that women will not care for this abuse and that we can keep holding our positions we achieved and we also push forward."
The discrimination she receives these days is across multiple levels. "I'm not only a woman but I'm also an immigrant (her agency is based in Monaco) from what people call a third-world country," the 53-year-old points out. That adds many layers to 'what are you doing here?' She illustrates this with an example. "When my opponents (competitors or other agents) compete for a player, they will say 'but she's a woman, she's Latin, she's from Brazil, she doesn't know what she's saying.'"
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She was drawn to law from a young age. So majoring in the subject at the University of Sao Paulo before working in the Fernando Henrique Cardoso government in the country of her birth was a natural career path. What wasn't natural, though, was what happened after. During a charity match as a way to celebrate the founding of a new club in Sao Paulo state, she bumped into Mino Raiola. The Italian-Dutch businessman, one of the OG super-agents in the game, struck up an understanding with Pimenta. They kept in touch before the former Pizzeria worker got Pimenta into his agency.
It's really male dominated and it was even worse when I started. I don't know if it got better or if it was because I got into a certain position that people will not say it to my face any more. It's difficult for me to judge but it got easier for me. What I hope is that it gets easier for all women and that's one of the reasons for me to be here.
Rafaela Pimenta on women in football ecosystem
When Raiola passed away in 2022, it was assumed that the clientele he had built up in the game over the last two decades would leave the company he had built. But the lawyer-turned agent, who had already built up a lot of trust with players and their families, kept the naysayers at bay.
When she's asked about Raiola, she smiles. "It's a bit of a dynamic where you complement each other," she says. "It's a team; you see what I don't and I see what you don't. Also, I know that I don't need to worry about everything because there are a few things that you have to do in this dynamic. At the end of the day, you can always rearrange how you work but the friendship, the laughter, the stories, the memories... this is what we leave with."
Raiola had a very particular way of doing business. "The one man show agent," as Pimenta tells. "Times are very different (now). Mino was the time of the one-man show agent. The one that says 'it's me' and that's what players expect. Today, football is much more complex and it would not be realistic to think one person can do it all. On the pitch, off the pitch, performance, recovery, sponsors, social media, transfers... I think today, players look for agents who are able to provide a support system, a team around them."
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At the first ever 48-team World Cup, multiple players from Pimenta's Agency will be on show beginning June 11. In terms of sheer popularity alone, there will be none greater than Erling. What's that like?
"It's a dream come true," Pimenta, who recently joined Women in Football, an Advocacy Group, as a non-executive director, says. "It's a dream because he fits the way I think people should work. He's honest, focused, genuine, always attentive... what can you want more? This is a blessing. I usually say that our players are boring. In this company, you don't find the crazy, wild ones."
A few months ago, Pimenta and the Haalands decided to expand 'our horizons'. That's how they invested in Total Chess, a new product from the founders of Norway Chess (it's why Pimenta and Alfie, Erling's father, were in situ during one of the rounds at Norway Chess last week). Why chess? "This is a joint adventure," she says. "This is a big project for all of us and we are deeply involved. I always say put your mouth where your money is. If you believe in it, go invest. We believe in it so much we decided to invest. It's a part of our portfolios because we really think this can be huge and so much more popular than it is today. It brings one more sport as an alternative for kids and young adults.
"Instead of roblox, or dealing with drugs or taking part in WhatsApp hate group or whatever... hey, it's fine if you don't like football or basketball. May be just like total chess. And if they do, it's one less kid doing a stupid thing."
When the conversation shifts back to the prejudice and the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, she says: "Women can work in any areas... as long as we are given the same chances."
