Roberto Carlos has quit international football following Brazil's 1-0 quarter-final defeat to France.
"On the Brazilian national team, my story has ended," he said on his official website.
"I want to open space for new blood. I hope I can give this number six jersey to someone who might carry on this victorious history.
"I thank my team mates and the supporters who were always on my side. A big hug to everyone."
The full-back, famous for his booming left-foots shot, played at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups and won 125 caps for Brazil in full internationals.
However, he has had a chequered history with the national side.
He was much criticised for his performances in 1998, when Brazil finished as runners-up to France, and also criticised after being quoted as saying he could not understand how anyone could live on less than several thousand dollars a month.
"I wear an apartment on my arm," he added in a newspaper interview, referring to a watch worth thousands of dollars.
Brazilians - most of whom scrape by on around $100 a month - replied by giving him a new nickname: 'O mascarado' (the masked one). In this context, it meant big-headed.
Roberto Carlos claimed that he had been misinterpreted, that he has always proud to represent his country and that he has not changed since his humble upbringing in the state of Sao Paulo.
In 2002, he bounced back, playing an important part in the team which won Brazil's fifth world title.
This year, however, he was under fire again and many critics said it was he who should have been marking Henry when he scored France's winner on Saturday.
Roberto Carlos, whose club future with Real Madrid is also in doubt, started as a player with provincial club Uniao Sao Joao.
He joined big city Palmeiras at the age of 18 and quickly made an impression, winning the Brazilian championships in 1993 and 1994.
He left for Europe in 1996 to play for Inter Milan in Italy, moving to Real Madrid after one season where he won three UEFA Champions League titles.
With Brazil, he also won the Copa America in 1997 and 1999 and the Confederations Cup in 1997.
He is likely to be haunted by some of his trademark brash predictions during the 2006 World Cup. "Brazil aren't going to lose this cup," he said at one stage.
2006-07-04 01:24:46 · 11 answers · asked by ahmed 2 in Sports ➔ Football ➔ Brazilian Football (Soccer)
Roberto Carlos is a brilliant player in a team full of great players.
Although he will be missed in the short term, there are a thousand young kids in the favelas waiting to take his place, and Brazil will continue to be the best most flamboyant team on Earth.
2006-07-04 01:30:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it's a shame that he is leaving like this , we Brazilians can be very quick to judge and very quick in making someone a hero. Roberto Carlos is supposedly the one to blame for the French win, how about the rest of the team that didn't score?
2006-07-04 11:37:30 · answer #2 · answered by Pam 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hope real madrid get rid of him as well probably to chelsea as itwill def weaken them.
he is a terrible defender and doesnt have it anymore to attack from the wings
2006-07-04 11:37:03 · answer #3 · answered by neelkapdi 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He can play more.
We will lose opportunity of watching great soccer played by him..
Wish him to reconsider.
2006-07-05 22:02:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He´s a leftback, not a midfielder. Pretty strange that you admire him...
2006-07-04 10:20:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
he is of the greatest defensive midfielders in the world
his dead ball free kicks are deadly indeed
2006-07-04 09:30:43 · answer #6 · answered by opaalvarez 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He waited too long.
2006-07-04 08:59:36 · answer #7 · answered by elgil 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
absolutely not. he ia a great player!!
2006-07-04 12:08:38 · answer #8 · answered by Kate P 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
good i dnt care if he leaves...brazil sucks
2006-07-04 08:29:45 · answer #9 · answered by PentagramSchematik 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
about time...
2006-07-04 13:54:52 · answer #10 · answered by shaman 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋