At the Portugal Football Summit, Roberto Carlos offered a stark account of the financial collapse that followed his playing career, saying he lost 99% of the money he had earned in football after disputes involving representatives and family matters.
The former Brazil and Real Madrid left-back said the losses arrived with alarming speed. A serious issue with a former agent coincided with a separate family problem, and he was then presented with documents he had not known existed.
“I had problems with people who left my account empty,” Roberto Carlos said. “Because of agents and family issues, I lost 99% of everything I had earned in football. I made mistakes, and that is why I ask younger players not to repeat them.”
A sudden financial shock
Roberto Carlos described the moment as an abrupt break with the life he believed he had built. He said he went to bed at midnight on a Thursday and, by the following day, was handed a stack of unfamiliar paperwork.
“That was when I lost the whole story I had built,” he said.
The 53-year-old said he eventually restored order to both his finances and family life with assistance from a friend. His message in Portugal was aimed particularly at young professionals entering the game, where large contracts and commercial opportunities can quickly bring complicated decisions away from the pitch.
Planning beyond the pitch
Despite the scale of the setback, Roberto Carlos said he had always considered the transition out of football. Before ending his playing career, he had already obtained a sporting director’s licence and begun working with commercial brands.
“I always thought about what comes after playing,” he said. “It means building your story as a player and making use of your image. By the time I decided to stop, I already had a sporting director qualification and was working with many brands.”
Roberto Carlos is now a Real Madrid ambassador, remaining closely connected to the club where he became one of the defining full-backs of the modern European game. He made 527 appearances for Madrid and won three Champions League titles among his major honours.
For Brazil, he played 127 times and was part of the squad that won the 2002 World Cup.
