So today I thought it would be fun to dig up what happened to those legendary players from Brazil’s 2002 World Cup squad. You know, that unstoppable team with Ronaldo’s haircut and Ronaldinho’s magic? Twenty years flew by crazy fast.
Getting Started
First I booted up my dinosaur laptop and opened three browser tabs: one for Wikipedia, one for sports news sites, and another for social media. Wanted to cross-check everything since the internet’s full of half-truths. Typed “Brazil 2002 World Cup roster” into Google – thank god somebody had the full list archived.
The Detective Work
Made a spreadsheet with two columns: “2002 Status” and “2023 Status”. Started plugging in names:
- Roberto Carlos: Man was still bombing down that left flank at 39! Found his Instagram full of beach volleyball pics now.
- Rivaldo: Remember his phantom injury vs Turkey? Google showed me he’s running esports teams in Angola.
- Gilberto Silva: The “Invisible Wall” midfielder. Took me 20 minutes to track down – turns out he’s coaching back in Brazil.
Kept getting sidetracked watching old highlights. That Ronaldinho free kick against England? Lost 45 minutes right there replaying it.
The Sad Parts
Stumbled upon Marcos’ story – the goalkeeper who played with broken hands. News articles say he lost everything to bad investments. Felt heavy reading that.
Surprises
Couldn’t believe Cafu! Dude looks exactly the same coaching São Paulo FC. Meanwhile Julio Cesar switched to poker professionally. Most shocking? Only 3 still work directly in football.
Putting It Together
Printed my messy spreadsheet. Drew connections:
- 5 became agents
- 2 opened soccer schools
- 4 went into broadcasting
- 1 started selling organic coffee (Kleberson!)
Finished with Ronaldo’s page. His hair didn’t survive but his empire did – owns whole clubs now while campaigning against obesity. Talk about full circle.
Crazy how footballers fade from public view. That squad felt invincible when we watched them lift the trophy. Now only their YouTube highlights feel immortal.