Sports Celebrity: Roberto Carlos da Silva Brazilian Football Player

Roberto Carlos da Silva (born 10 April 1973 in Garça, São Paulo, Brazil), more commonly known simply as Roberto Carlos, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a left wingback for Russian Premier League club Anzhi Makhachkala, where he is also club captain. His height is 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) and Playing Position is Left wingback. He started playing for Brazil in 1992 and was a member of the Brazil national team in three World Cups, helping the team reach the final in 1998 and win the 2002 tournament. He is also known for his trademark free kicks with powerful speed.

He previously played for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid for 11 years, making over 500 appearances and winning four leagues, three UEFA Champions League trophies, and two Intercontinental Cups. Roberto Carlos is also one of only fifteen players to have played more than 100 matches in the Champions League. He finished second to countryman Ronaldo in the 1997 FIFA World Player of the Year award poll and was named as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers by Pelé in March 2004.

Roberto Carlos was born in the city of Garça, São Paulo. Raised with no luxury, he had a poor childhood and used to spend his time between helping his parents in farm works, and playing with his friends after his all works were over. In 1981, Roberto Carlos with his family moved to Cordeirópolis. On 24 June 2005, Carlos was robbed by two gunmen while doing a live radio interview. However, the thieves did not harm him, merely taking his watch and the interviewer's cellular phone.

On 2 August 2005, Carlos received dual Spanish and Brazilian citizenship. This proved important for Real Madrid, as it meant that he now counted as a European Union player, opening up one of the club's allowed three slots for non-EU players and enabling Real to sign fellow Brazilian star Robinho. For his 38th birthday, it was reported that Anzhi Makhachkala owner, Suleyman Kerimov, bought him a Bugatti Veyron.

Roberto Carlos amassed 125 caps, scoring 11 goals for the Brazilian national team. At the 1998 World Cup, he played seven matches, including the final loss to France. After a qualifying game for the 2002 World Cup, Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert spat on Roberto Carlos, an action which caused FIFA to give Chilavert a three-match suspension and forced him to watch the first game of the World Cup from the stands. Roberto Carlos also played seven matches in the finals, scoring a goal from a free kick against China. He also was a starter in the final against Germany, with Brazil winning 2–0. After the tournament Carlos was also included in the World Cup's All Star team.

He is especially famous for a free kick against France in the inaugural match of Tournoi de France 1997 on 3 June 1997. He shot from 35 m (115 ft) from the centre-right channel, and scored. The ball curved so much that the ball boy 10 yards to the right ducked instinctively, thinking that the ball would hit him. Instead, it eventually curled back on target, much to the surprise of goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, who just stood in place. In 2010, a team of French scientists produced a paper explaining the trajectory of the ball.

Roberto Carlos' next international tournament was 2006 World Cup. In July 2006, after Brazil's 1–0 defeat to France in the World Cup quarter-finals, Roberto Carlos announced his retirement from the national team, saying, "I've stopped with the national team. It was my last game." He said he no longer wanted to play for Brazil because of the criticism he faced from fans and Brazilian media for his failure to mark goalscorer Thierry Henry on France's winning goal.

Upon signing with Corinthians in January 2010, Roberto Carlos told TV Globo that he hoped to play at the 2010 World Cup and believed his return to Brazilian football may help him return to the national team, as manager Dunga had yet to settle on a left back. However, he was left off the 30-man provisional squad that was submitted to FIFA on 11 May 2010, along with Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. Despite his deep desire to do so, Roberto Carlos was not named in Coach Dunga's final squad of 23 for the Brazilian squad in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. Instead, Brazil newcomer Michel Bastos earned a spot for the left wingback position.