Roberto Carlos released from Brazil hospital after heart procedure

By: The Associated Press Posted: 4:20 PM CST Friday, Jan. 2, 2026

SAO PAULO (AP) — Former Brazil and Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos has been released from hospital after heart surgery this week.

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SAO PAULO (AP) — Former Brazil and Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos has been released from hospital after heart surgery this week.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/01/2026 (283 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Former Brazil and Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos has been released from hospital after heart surgery this week.

Hospital Vila Nova Star made the announcement on Friday without elaborating.

The 52-year-old Roberto Carlos had a heart obstruction detected on Monday and was advised to have a coronary angioplasty on the same day. The procedure is minimally invasive and widens blocked or narrowed heart arteries.

Former Brazil player Roberto Carlos arrives to attend the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The former defender was initially put in intensive care due to medical protocols.

One of the most attack-minded left backs of all time, Roberto Carlos won 125 Brazil caps and played for 11 years at Madrid. He was a member of Brazil World Cup teams which reached the final in 1998 and won in 2002. He also helped Brazil win the Copa America in 1997 and 1999.