Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha was born in Garça, São Paulo, Brazil. He grew up there and in Cordeirópolis, São Paulo.
Apparently Carlos is a fairly religious man. He told one interviewer that he prays every day.[1] And before the 2002 World Cup, in describing the Brazilian football team's pre-game ritual, he said,
We pray together very loudly, we'll do the same after the game, it's a ritual for us. I hope and pray that both teams have a good game, and then we will pray at the end with us as winners.[2]
All that prayer seemed to work out for Carlos; Brazil won that match. And although scientists finally figured out how to explain an impossible goal Carlos made in a free kick in 1997,[3] the footballer says he gets a little help from God too. He said,
God gave me a gift for kicking fouls. But training is very important too.[4]
We'll have to assume that Carlos is Catholic–considering that is by far the most dominant religion in Brazil–[5] but I couldn't confirm it. If you know more about his denomination, let us know in the comments.
Football Politics
Carlos appears to stay out of any political discourse. As far as one's nationality can be political, Carlos was granted dual Spanish and Brazilian citizenship in 2005, after playing for Spanish football club Real Madrid for nine years.[6] About his adopted home he said,
After so many years in Spain I feel proud to have gained dual nationality. It is a very important thing for me.[7]
But some speculated that his citizenship was born, not out of a genuine desire for himself, but out of football politics. Him becoming a Spanish citizen opened up a position for a non-European player, allowing the club to hire on another Brazilian.[8] But hey, anything for the game, right?
Loading comments...