In Lisbon, amid the polished stages of the Portugal Football Summit, Roberto Carlos spoke about a far less glamorous chapter of life after football. The former Brazil and Real Madrid left-back said that nearly all the wealth he built during his playing career had disappeared.
Quick facts
- Roberto Carlos, 53, addressed his financial situation in Lisbon.
- His career earnings have been estimated at more than €160 million.
- He said he lost 99% of the income he made in football.
- The former Real Madrid defender blamed issues involving an ex-agent and family matters.
- He is now a Real Madrid ambassador.
The Brazilian, who won three Champions League titles with Madrid, said the losses were tied to a serious dispute with a former representative. “He emptied my bank account,” Roberto Carlos said, describing how problems with agents and relatives cost him almost everything he had earned.
His post-playing life has matched the scale of a career that took him from Brazil to Spain and made him one of the game’s most recognisable full-backs. He has 11 children with seven women, and said personal circumstances compounded the financial damage.
Roberto Carlos recalled the moment he understood the extent of the situation. He said he went to bed at midnight on a Thursday, then received a large number of documents the following Friday that he had never seen before.
“That was when I realised I had lost everything I had earned in my career,” he said. “It was a real nightmare.”
