Roberto Carlos

Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha, commonly called Roberto Carlos or RC3, was born on 10 April 1973. A Brazilian former professional footballer, he is widely regarded as the most attack-minded left-back ever and one of the finest full-backs in history. He finished second in the FIFA World Player of the Year voting in 1997 and was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or in 2002. His reputation rests mainly on his long stint at Real Madrid and his regular place in the Brazil national side.

He began his career in Brazil as a forward but later settled at left-back. After moving from Inter Milan to Real Madrid in 1996, he spent 11 highly successful seasons there, making 584 appearances across all competitions and scoring 71 goals. With Madrid, he won four La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League trophies. In April 2013, Marca included him in their "Best Foreign Eleven in Real Madrid's History."

He is among the few players to have logged over 1,100 professional club and international appearances. Roberto Carlos debuted for Brazil in 1992. He appeared in three World Cups, reaching the final in 1998 and winning the tournament in 2002. He was named to the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team in both 1998 and 2002.

He is especially remembered for a bending 40-yard free kick against France during the opening match of the 1997 Tournoi de France. With 125 caps, he ranks fourth all-time for Brazil. In a 2002 FIFA poll, he was chosen for the FIFA World Cup Dream Team. After retiring as a player, he moved into management.

He became manager of Turkish Süper Lig side Sivasspor in June 2013 and resigned in December 2014. From January to June 2015, he managed Akhisarspor. Though he announced his retirement from playing in 2012 at age 39, he briefly came back in 2015 as player-manager of Indian Super League club Delhi Dynamos. Roberto Carlos started professionally with União São João in Araras, São Paulo.

Despite playing for a smaller club, he was called up to the Brazil national team in 1992 at age 19. In August 1992, he joined Atlético Mineiro on loan and went on the club's European tour with the B team, as the first team focused on the Copa CONMEBOL. The tour served as a trial; those who impressed could join the main squad. He missed the first two games in Italy but played the full match against Lleida in Spain on 27 August for the Ciutat de Lleida Trophy.

He stayed in the lineup for the next two games in Logroño against Logroñés and Athletic Bilbao. Before retiring in 2014, he thanked Atlético Mineiro for the opportunity. In 1993, he joined Palmeiras, winning two consecutive Brazilian league titles over two seasons. After nearly signing for Aston Villa in 1995, Roberto Carlos moved to Inter Milan in Serie A, spending one season there.

He scored a 30-yard free kick on his debut in a 1–0 win over Vicenza, but his season was disappointing, with Inter finishing seventh. In a May 2005 interview with FourFourTwo, he said coach Roy Hodgson wanted him as a winger, while he preferred left-back. He spoke to owner Massimo Moratti, and it became clear the only solution was to leave. Roberto Carlos joined Real Madrid in the 1996 close season.

New manager Fabio Capello, upon learning he was available, could hardly believe it and urged chairman Lorenzo Sanz to go to Milan immediately. An agreement was reached within 24 hours. He took the number 3 shirt and was first-choice left-back from 1996–97 through 2006–07. Over 11 seasons, he played 584 matches in all competitions, scoring 71 goals.

In January 2006, he became Real Madrid's most capped foreign-born player in La Liga with 370 appearances, surpassing Alfredo Di Stéfano's record of 329. During his Madrid years, he was considered, alongside Milan's Paolo Maldini, the world's best left-back. As a high-profile player and key team member, he was part of the Galácticos era under Florentino Pérez, alongside Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo, Ronaldo, and David Beckham. He won four La Liga titles and played in the 1998, 2000, and 2002 Champions League finals, assisting Zidane's winning goal in 2002—widely regarded as one of the competition's greatest goals.

He was named Club Defender of the Year and included in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2002 and 2003. Later in his Madrid career, he was one of the club's three captains, alongside Raúl and Guti. Known for pushing forward and scoring spectacular goals, in February 1998 he scored what many consider his most memorable Madrid goal: a bending volley from near the sideline with the outside of his left foot in a Copa del Rey match against Tenerife, described as an "impossible goal."

On the final day of the 2002–03 season, with Madrid needing to beat Athletic Bilbao to overtake Real Sociedad and win the league, he scored from a free kick in the second minute.