Brazilian football legend Roberto Carlos has been hospitalised for emergency heart surgery after medical tests revealed a heart problem. The 52-year-old former World Cup winner was admitted following the discovery of a small blood clot on his leg, with a full-body MRI subsequently showing his heart was not functioning correctly.
According to Spanish outlet AS, the procedure to insert a catheter took three hours, significantly longer than the standard 40 minutes, due to complications. The operation was ultimately successful, and Carlos is reported to be out of danger, though he will remain under observation for two more days.
Carlos, renowned for his powerful free kicks and overlapping runs, won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the Champions League with Real Madrid three times, in 1998, 2000, and 2002. He recently attended the World Cup draw ceremony in Washington DC on 5 December, where he was seated alongside fellow Brazilian legend Kaka and interviewed by host Danny Ramirez.
