Carlos Kaiser scammed professional football clubs for around 20 years, from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s—roughly 1979 to 1994.
Despite signing with over a dozen clubs—including big names like Botafogo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, Flamengo, and even a few teams abroad—he never played a single official match.
He kept contracts short, avoided being on the pitch with clever excuses, and stayed under the radar just enough to keep the illusion alive. It’s honestly one of the most audacious and fascinating long cons in sports history.
He was close with Brazilian football legends like Romário, Bebeto, and Renato Gaúcho. These friendships helped him get introductions and short-term contracts—because if a star player vouches for you, clubs listen.
Right after signing with a club, he’d claim to be injured—usually pulling the classic “muscle strain” in training, which is hard to prove. That bought him months on the sidelines, collecting paychecks without playing.
He’d invent drama: like sick relatives, spiritual crises, or personal traumas to avoid matches. At one point, he even hired a fake doctor to help fake medical records.
He befriended journalists and gave them fake interviews and rumors about offers from Europe or interest from rival clubs. This gave him a reputation as a valuable, in-demand player.
Once, when he was about to be subbed into a game, he started a fight with fans in the stands to get a red card before stepping onto the pitch—so he still didn’t have to play.
He signed short-term deals and moved clubs frequently. That way, no one had enough time to figure out his scam before he’d vanish to the next team.
Carlos Kaiser loved to party. That was actually a huge part of his scam.
He was known for being a charismatic, smooth talker, always present at nightclubs, social events, and elite gatherings.
He once said something along the lines of:“I wanted to be a footballer, but not play football. I just wanted the lifestyle.”
So yeah—he wasn’t interested in the sport as much as he was in the glamour, fame, women, and VIP access that came with pretending to be a footballer.
Dude was basically a walking, partying illusion for two decades.
Hmmm.What a story.
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