One of the Brazil's top stars, defender Roberto Carlos, has announced he is retiring from international football following his country's World Cup quarter-final defeat against France.
"My days playing with the national side are over," the 33-year-old Real Madrid wing-back said on his personal website. "It's time to move on and I hope I can hand over the number six shirt to someone else who can continue to win for our country.
"Many thanks to all the players and the fans who have supported me."
Roberto Carlos won 125 caps for Brazil after winning his first selection in a 3-0 win over the United States on February 26, 1992 and he played in the 2-0 win over Germany in the 2002 World Cup final.
He also played in four out of Brazil's five games in Germany ending in the heartbreaking 1-0 loss to France in the quarter-finals.
Best-known for his speed and the astonishing power of his free-kicks and long-range shooting, the pint-sized Roberto Carlos played with Palmeiras at home before moving to Inter Milan in Italy in 1995.
But he soon left to join Real Madrid the following year and has been with the Spanish side since then as part of the famous "galacticos" group of big-name players that also included compatriot Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham.
Roberto Carlos has won three Spanish championships and three European Champions League titles with Real Looking back on his last match for Brazil, Roberto Carlos defended himself against critics who said he was out of position when Thierry Henri was left unmarked at the back post to volley in the winner from Zidane's free-kick.
"A lot of peole are talking about this and watching the video, but there was nothing wrong with my positioning," he said.
"I did what I was supposd to do but there was a tactical mistake and we were caught out. "That was not the sole reason that we lost the World Cup though, we just weren't at our best for the whole 90 minutes."
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