Roberto Carlos is a Brazilian footballer who is widely considered to be one of the finest left backs in history. In a spectacular career in which he represented the Brazilian national team and a number of teams, he has demonstrated that he is unquestionably among the game’s greats. Carlos came from a humble background and had to work in a factory as a boy, but his potential as a footballer shined through when he broke into Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro and went on to play for major teams in Europe. Carlos was famed for his marauding runs down the left wing and outstanding free kicks despite being a defender. Due to the tremendous swing on the ball, a free kick he took for Brazil in a friendly against France in 1997 is regarded as one of the finest free kicks ever taken, and he scored several similar goals during his career. He was the world’s best left defender for 11 seasons with Real Madrid, leading the team to several major victories. Roberto Carlos spent the last part of his career playing in Turkey and Russia before turning to coaching.
Childhood and Adolescence
Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha was born on April 10, 1973, in the Garca neighborhood of Sao Paolo, Brazil, to Oscar and Vera Lucia da Silva. His parents worked on a coffee farm and he grew up in an impoverished home. Roberto Carlos, like many other Brazilian kids, enjoyed football and played it whenever he could, but he had already begun working at the age of 12 to support his family. Carlos worked at Torsao Cardeiro, a textile mill.
Roberto Carlos began his football career in Brazil with the team Uniao Sao Joao, headquartered in the Araras neighborhood of Sao Paolo. He began his career with the club’s youth systems before going on to bigger clubs in Brazil and abroad.
Career of Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos came on loan from Uniao Sao Joao to Atletico Mineiro in Belo Horizonte in 1992, when he was 19 years old, and played for the club in a few games before joining Palmeiras the next season. He was also picked for the Brazil national squad in the same year.
He joined Palmeiras in 1993 and helped the Sao Paulo-based team win two Brazilian league titles in his two seasons there. Carlos’ qualities as an attacking left back were observed by other clubs when he was at Palmeiras, and following his time there, he was being courted by the best clubs in Europe.
Roberto Carlos came to Europe in 1995 when he joined the Italian team Inter Milan. The team did not have a great season, finishing in seventh place, but Carlos made his imprint on the big stage by scoring a tremendous free kick in his very first game, which would become his career high point. After a season, he departed Inter Milan.
Robert Carlos joined Real Madrid as a left defender in 1996, and he quickly established himself as one of the team’s mainstays throughout the club’s great time. He spent 11 years at Real Madrid and was widely regarded as the best left fullback in the world. In 584 appearances, he scored 71 goals and helped the team win several trophies, including four league crowns and three UEFA Champions League wins.
Roberto Carlos represented Brazil at the 1998 World Cup in France, where the team finished second. He was a member of the victorious national squad in the 2002 World Cup, scoring one goal in the tournament held in Japan and South Korea.
Carlos confirmed his retirement from the national squad after Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup by France. In 125 appearances for the squad, he has 11 goals. He left Real Madrid the next year to join Fenerbahce in Turkey, where he won one championship before leaving two years later.
In 2010, Roberto Carlos returned to Brazil and joined Corinthians, where he scored a few key goals before deciding to leave the club due to threats of violence from the fans. He joined Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala the next year and retired from professional football after a season.
Roberto Carlos became the manager of Turkish team Sivasspor in 2013 after serving as a caretaker manager at Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. He left the following year. The following year, he took charge of Turkish side Akhishar Belediyespor before taking charge of Delhi Dynamos of the Indian Super League.
Achievements and Awards
Roberto Carlos was a member of the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 1998 and 2002, as well as the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. He was selected to the FIFA 100 list of the finest living footballers in the world in 2004.
Personal History and Legacy
In 2009, Roberto Carlos married Mariana Luccon. He has four boys and four daughters in his family. It should be emphasized, however, that nothing is known about his personal life, and his children may not all share the same mother.
Estimated Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Roberto Carlos is $ 160 Million.