Biography
Who is Robinho?
Early life and career beginnings
Robson de Souza was born in São Vicente, Brazil, on January 25, 1984. During his childhood, he played a significant amount of futsal, which helped develop his core dribbling and acceleration skills on the pitch. In 1996, Brazil legend Pelé selected him as his heir apparent at just twelve years of age. He signed his first professional contract with Santos in 2002 at the age of 18, making 24 appearances and scoring one goal in his debut season.
That same year, Robinho led Santos to their first Campeonato Brasileiro title since Pelé played for the club. In 2004, he scored 21 goals in 37 games, guiding Santos to another domestic league title. His mother, Marina da Silva Souza, was kidnapped by gunmen at her Praia Grande home in November 2005 and released unharmed six weeks later after a ransom payment.
Success at Real Madrid
Spanish giants Real Madrid signed Robinho in July 2005 after paying a fee equal to sixty percent of his buyout clause at Santos, totaling twenty four million euros. He received the number 10 shirt previously worn by Luís Figo and scored 14 goals in 37 appearances during his first season. Under manager Fabio Capello, he spent time as a substitute before earning a regular starting role and helping the club win the La Liga title.
Robinho finished his time in Spain as one of the club's top scorers and key assist providers. During the 2007 to 2008 season, he scored crucial goals under coach Bernd Schuster to secure Real Madrid's 31st league title. After contract extension talks stalled, he sought a transfer away from the club.
Manchester City and AC Milan
On September 1, 2008, Robinho completed a transfer to Manchester City on a four-year deal. He made his team debut and scored his first Premier League goal on September 13 in a match against Chelsea. He finished his first season as the club's top goalscorer with 14 goals. Following a second season affected by injuries and a loan spell back at Santos, he permanently moved to AC Milan in August 2010.
With AC Milan, Robinho signed a four-year contract and won the Italian Serie A title during his first season at the club. At the international level, he represented the Brazil national team, winning one Copa América title and two FIFA Confederations Cups while appearing at two FIFA World Cups.
Legal issues and personal life
In 2017, an Italian court convicted Robinho of sexual assault related to an incident involving a woman at a Milan nightclub in 2013. The conviction was subsequently upheld by the Milan Court of Appeals and Italy's top court in January 2022. Because the Brazilian Constitution does not allow the extradition of its nationals, Brazil rejected Italy's extradition request.
In March 2024, Robinho began serving a nine-year prison term for the conviction in Brazil. He has one child named Robinho Júnior and stands 172 centimeters tall.
Birthday and age
Robinho was born on January 25, 1984, which makes Robinho 42 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Robinho shares the date with 26 other famous people.
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