Zé Roberto facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the Brazilian international footballer. For the Brazilian volleyball player and coach, see Zé Roberto (volleyball). For other people, see Zé Roberto (disambiguation).

In this Portuguese name, the second or paternal family name is da Silva. "Júnior" is a generational suffix used for someone whose name is the same as their father, like "Jr." in English.

Quick facts for kids
Zé Roberto

Zé Roberto with Palmeiras in 2017

Personal information

Full name

José Roberto da Silva Júnior

Date of birth

6 July 1974 (age 51)

Place of birth

São Paulo, Brazil

Height

1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)

Position(s)

Left wing-back, midfielder

Youth career

Palestra de São Bernardo

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1994–1996

Portuguesa

(1)

1997

Real Madrid

(0)

1998

Flamengo

(0)

1998–2002

Bayer Leverkusen

113

(17)

2002–2006

Bayern Munich

110

(5)

2006–2009

Nacional

(0)

2006–2007

→ Santos (loan)

(2)

2007–2009

→ Bayern Munich (loan)

(9)

2009–2011

Hamburger SV

(7)

2011–2012

Al-Gharafa

(1)

2012–2014

Grêmio

(6)

2015–2017

Palmeiras

(3)

Total

648

(51)

International career

1995–2006

Brazil

(6)

Medal record

FIFA World Cup

Men's football
Representing Brazil
Copa América
Winner	1997 Bolivia
Winner	1999 Paraguay
FIFA Confederations Cup
Winner	1997 Saudi Arabia
Winner	2005 Germany
Runner-up	1999 Mexico
Runner-up	1998 France

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

José Roberto da Silva Júnior (born on July 6, 1974), known as Zé Roberto, is a famous Brazilian former football player. He played as a left wing-back or a midfielder. He is best known for his time with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in Germany. He also played for big clubs in Brazil like Portuguesa, Grêmio, and Palmeiras.

Zé Roberto started his career in Brazil. He then moved to Europe to play for Real Madrid in 1997. He later returned to Brazil briefly before joining Bayer Leverkusen in 1998. At Leverkusen, he became a key player and helped the team achieve great success.

In 2002, Zé Roberto joined Bayern Munich, where he won many titles. He also played for other teams like Santos, Hamburger SV, Al-Gharafa, and Grêmio. He finished his amazing career at Palmeiras in 2017. Throughout his career, he played in 961 club games. He also played 84 times for the Brazilian national team.

Today, Zé Roberto works as a technical advisor for Palmeiras. He helps the players and coaches.

Club Career Highlights
International Career with Brazil
How Zé Roberto Played
Life After Playing Football
Personal Life and Beliefs
Career Statistics
- Club
- International
Honours and Awards
See also

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Brazil

Zé Roberto began his football journey in the youth teams of Palestra de São Bernardo. He became well-known while playing for Portuguesa. He played as a left-back and helped his team finish second in the Brazilian Championship in 1996.

Time with Real Madrid

In January 1997, Zé Roberto joined Real Madrid in Spain. He helped them win the Spanish league title that season. He was also part of the team that won the Champions League in 1998. He scored one goal for Real Madrid in a Champions League group match. He decided to leave Real Madrid to get more playing time. This would help him get picked for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He then went back to Brazil to play for Flamengo.

Success at Bayer Leverkusen

Zé Roberto joined Bayer Leverkusen in Germany in 1998. This is where he truly became famous. He was very popular with the fans. During his four years there, Bayer Leverkusen had one of their best periods ever. They finished second in the German Bundesliga three times.

In 2002, Zé Roberto helped Bayer Leverkusen reach the Champions League final. They played against his old club, Real Madrid, but lost the match 2-1. He played in 113 league games for Leverkusen and scored 16 goals.

Winning Titles with Bayern Munich

Zé Roberto with Bayern Munich in 2006

In May 2002, Zé Roberto moved to Bayern Munich. He signed a three-year contract. With Bayern, he won the German league and cup titles three times between 2002 and 2006. He left the club in 2006 because he felt he wasn't playing as much.

Playing for Santos

After leaving Bayern, Zé Roberto joined Santos in Brazil for one year in August 2006. He helped Santos win the 2007 Campeonato Paulista, which was his first title in a Brazilian competition. He scored seven goals in the 2007 Copa Libertadores, where Santos reached the semi-finals. He played as an attacking midfielder for the first time in his career at Santos.

Return to Bayern Munich

In June 2007, Zé Roberto returned to Bayern Munich. He said it felt like he had never left. He won another league and cup double with Bayern. He played very well in his new role as a defensive midfielder. He scored five goals and worked well with his teammate Mark van Bommel. Zé Roberto left Bayern again in 2009 because they would not offer him a new two-year contract.

Later Career in Germany and Qatar

Zé Roberto training with Hamburg in 2009

On July 2, 2009, Zé Roberto signed a two-year contract with Hamburger SV, another German club. He played there until May 2011. He then moved to the Qatari club Al-Gharafa in July 2011. He played there for one season.

Back to Brazil with Grêmio and Palmeiras

After his time in Qatar, Zé Roberto returned to Brazil in May 2012. He joined Grêmio and helped them finish third in the Brazilian league. He wanted to retire at Grêmio and extended his contract. However, he left Grêmio in December 2014.

Zé Roberto playing for Palmeiras in 2017

On December 22, 2014, Zé Roberto joined Palmeiras. He was immediately made team captain. He helped them win the Brazilian Cup in 2015. He also helped Palmeiras win his first Brazilian national championship in 2016.

On May 24, 2017, Zé Roberto scored a goal in the 2017 Copa Libertadores group stage. At 42 years and 10 months old, he became the oldest goalscorer in the history of the Copa Libertadores. This is a major South American club tournament. He announced his retirement from football on November 24, 2017.

International Career with Brazil

Zé Roberto was a key player for the Brazilian national team. He played in the 1998 and 2006 World Cups. In 1998, Brazil reached the final but lost to France. He was not part of the 2002 World Cup winning team due to an injury.

In the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Zé Roberto scored Brazil's third goal against Ghana. He was chosen for the tournament's All-Star Team, which is a big honor.

He also helped Brazil win the Copa América in 1997 and 1999. He scored a goal in the 1997 final against Bolivia. Zé Roberto also won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1997 and 2005. He played the full final match in 2005 when Brazil beat Argentina 4-1.

How Zé Roberto Played

Zé Roberto in 2011

Zé Roberto was a very skilled and versatile player. He could play as a defender on the left side or in many different midfield roles. He was known for being quick, hard-working, and having great technique. He was good at dribbling, passing, and tackling.

He started his career as an attacking full-back or wing-back. Later, he played as a left-winger and then as an attacking midfielder. At Bayern Munich, he became an excellent defensive midfielder. He was good at understanding the game and stopping opponents' attacks. This new role helped him get called up to the Brazilian national team again.

Life After Playing Football

After retiring as a player, Zé Roberto has stayed involved in football. In 2022, he became a global ambassador for Betsson, a sports betting and casino company. He is seen as a great partner to represent their brand in Brazil.

As of July 2025, Zé Roberto is also a popular fitness influencer in Brazil. He has over 2.8 million followers on Instagram.

Personal Life and Beliefs

Zé Roberto is married to Luciana, and they have three children together.

He is a Christian. He has said that having God in his heart is the most important thing. He believes that money and fame will fade, but God is special.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Portuguesa	1994	Série A
	1995	Série A
	1996	Série A
	Total										61	1
Real Madrid	1996–97	La Liga	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
	1997–98	La Liga	6	0	0	0	6	1	0	0	12	1
	Total		15	0	0	0	6	1	0	0	21	1
Bayer Leverkusen	1998–99	Bundesliga	32	4	1	0	4	0	1	0	38	4
	1999–2000	Bundesliga	27	7	0	0	3	0	0	0	30	7
	2000–01	Bundesliga	24	2	1	0	7	0	0	0	32	2
	2001–02	Bundesliga	30	4	5	0	15	1	0	0	50	5
	Total		113	17	7	0	29	1	1	0	150	18
Bayern Munich	2002–03	Bundesliga	31	1	4	1	7	0	0	0	42	2
	2003–04	Bundesliga	30	2	2	0	7	0	1	0	40	2
	2004–05	Bundesliga	22	1	4	0	8	1	2	1	36	3
	2005–06	Bundesliga	27	1	4	0	8	0	0	0	39	1
	Total		110	5	14	1	30	1	3	1	157	8
Santos (loan)	2006	Série A	12	2	0	0	1	0	–		13	2
	2007	Série A	1	0	0	0	14	7	–		15	7
	Total		13	2	0	0	15	7	–		28	9
Bayern Munich (loan)	2007–08	Bundesliga	30	5	6	0	10	0	3	0	49	5
	2008–09	Bundesliga	29	4	4	1	9	2	–		42	7
	Total		59	9	10	1	19	2	3	0	91	12
Hamburger SV	2009–10	Bundesliga	23	6	2	0	14	1	–		39	7
	2010–11	Bundesliga	31	1	2	0	–		–		33	1
	Total		54	7	4	0	14	1	–		72	8
Al-Gharafa	2011–12	Qatar Stars League	14	1	0	0	–		–		14	1
Grêmio	2012	Série A	29	3	0	0	4	1	0	0	33	4
	2013	Série A	22	3	1	0	9	3	9	4	41	10
	2014	Série A	31	0	1	0	5	0	7	1	44	1
	Total		82	6	2	0	18	4	16	5	118	15
Palmeiras	2015	Série A	26	2	9	4	—		14	1	49	7
	2016	Série A	27	1	4	1	5	0	9	0	45	2
	2017	Série A	15	0	3	0	5	1	11	0	34	1
	Total		68	3	16	5	10	1	34	1	128	10
Career total			528	50	53	7	141	18	57	7	840	83

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Brazil	1995	4	0
	1996	4	0
	1997	11	1
	1998	2	0
	1999	15	3
	2000	10	0
	2001	1	0
	2002	1	0
	2003	8	0
	2004	7	0
	2005	14	1
	2006	7	1
Total		84	6

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zé Roberto goal.

List of international goals scored by Zé Roberto
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	29 June 1997	Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia	Bolivia	3–1	3–1	1997 Copa América
2	24 July 1999	Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Germany	1–0	4–0	1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
3	1 August 1999	Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Saudi Arabia	3–2	8–2	1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
4	4 August 1999	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	Mexico	3–4	3–4	1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
5	5 June 2005	Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil	Paraguay	3–0	4–1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	27 June 2006	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany	Ghana	3–0	3–0	2006 FIFA World Cup