Roberto Carlos has revealed that he lost 99 percent of everything he earned in football, saying people left his bank account at zero. The former Real Madrid and Brazil left-back, a 2002 World Cup winner, spoke at the Portugal Football Summit during the panel “Beyond the pitch: building a brand and a legacy in football”.
The 53-year-old, now a Real Madrid ambassador, said he had always tried to plan for life after playing. “I always thought about the stage after my career. It’s about building a story as a player and making the most of your image. When I decided to leave football, I already had the sporting director’s license and was working with many brands,” he explained.
Despite that preparation, he described a severe financial setback. “I had problems with people who left my bank account at zero. Because of agents and family issues, I lost 99 percent of everything I had earned in football. I made mistakes and, because of that, I ask the younger ones not to do the same,” he said. He also said that “Paul reorganized my life” and that with “Entourage” he managed to restructure his financial and family life.
Roberto Carlos clarified the difficulties behind the loss. “I had a serious problem with my former agent. I had an extremely serious family problem. On Thursday I went to bed at midnight and, on Friday, I received a pile of documents whose existence I was unaware of. That’s when I lost my entire history,” he said.
During his career, Roberto Carlos played 527 matches for Real Madrid and 127 for Brazil. He remains one of the most prestigious left-backs in football history, and his comments at the summit addressed an issue that affects many footballers.