SI

Brazil Legend Roberto Carlos Scores Penalty for Sunday League Pub Team

The World Cup champion participated in a friendly with Bull in the Barne as part of a raffle to support Football Beyond Borders.

Andrew Gastelum

Brazil Legend Roberto Carlos Scores Penalty for Sunday League Pub Team
Brazil Legend Roberto Carlos Scores Penalty for Sunday League Pub Team /

At 48 years old, Roberto Carlos played in—and scored—in a Sunday league match for a local pub on Friday.

The three-time Champions League winner took the field for Shrewsbury's Bull in the Barne pub team thanks to an Ebay raffle called “Dream Transfer,” in which proceeds went to Football Beyond Borders. 

Even though the Sunday League side had a World Cup winner on its side, Roberto Carlos still had to wait to come off the bench. But the Brazilian star stepped up to score a second-half penalty with his legendary left-footed shot, although it was not enough to see Bull in the Barne win the friendly. 

“Roberto Carlos is one of those legends who’s inspired so many young players’ love of the game,” Bull in the Barne manager and goalkeeper Ed Speller said prior to the game, per Yahoo Sports. “... It should be a right laugh for him to come see what we’re made of, with some tense free-kicks and hopefully no dodgy tackles.”

The left back, who won four La Liga titles in his career with Real Madrid, last played professional soccer in 2015 when he served as player-manager for Indian side Delhi Dynamos, now known as Odisha Football Club. 

In 2002, Roberto Carlos won the World Cup and finished runner-up to Real Madrid and Brazil teammate Ronaldo. 

More Soccer Coverage:

Published
Andrew Gastelum
ANDREW GASTELUM

Andrew Gastelum is a programming editor and writer at Sports Illustrated who specializes in soccer, the Olympics and international sports. He joined the SI staff in March 2021 and previously contributed to Howler Magazine and NBC Sports. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame alum and is currently based in Italy.

Home/Soccer