Marcelo Vieira

Fluminense

Marcelo started playing futsal at age nine and by age 13, he was on the books of Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro. He came from a very poor background and even considered quitting football, but his grandfather convinced him to continue with the sport.

Real Madrid

Marcelo joined Real Madrid during the January transfer window in 2007. On his arrival, club President Ramón Calderón said, "He is an important signing for us. He is a young player who will inject some freshness into the side and is part of our plan to bring younger players into the squad. We're very happy because he's a pearl that half of Europe wanted." Many spectators hailed him as Brazilian and Real Madrid great Roberto Carlos' potential successor in the left-back role. Marcelo made his debut as a substitute in the 2–0 defeat against Deportivo La Coruña on 7 January 2007. On 14 April 2007, then coach Fabio Capello gave Marcelo his first start for Real Madrid against Racing de Santander. Real Madrid controversially lost the game 2–1. In the 2007–08 season, Marcelo started nearly all of Madrid's league games under the new manager Bernd Schuster. His ability, speed running across the field, attack, and defence had enabled him to become a very important player for Real Madrid. After a string of poor performances in 2009, Marcelo found himself on the bench for much of the remaining season while under new manager Juande Ramos, mainly as deputy to the more defensive-minded Gabriel Heinze. Ramos…

Marcelo scored in his Brazil debut on 5 September 2006, in a 2–0 victory against Wales at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane. He got the ball just outside the box and shot a typical Brazilian full-back goal. Marcelo has been compared to former Brazil national team left-back Roberto Carlos, who also played for Real Madrid. The two had played together during the second half of the 2006–07 season before Carlos' move to Turkish club Fenerbahçe. He was part of the 2008 Olympic squad as Brazil's under-23 squad, where he won a bronze medal. In May 2010, he was named as one of the seven substitutes for Brazil's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. Although he was not called up by Brazil coach Dunga, he was selected again by new coach Mano Menezes for a friendly against the United States on 10 August 2010. He was the Man of the Match for a 2–1 win in a friendly against Mexico away on 11 October 2011, as he scored the winner by dribbling past several players and then blasting the goal into the net. He was part of Brazil's 2012 Summer Olympics as one of the three overage players, with Brazil winning a silver medal. Marcelo was selected to be in Luiz Felipe Scolari's 23-man Brazil squad that played in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil. He was a starter for all of the matches, including the 3–0 victory over Spain in the final on 30 June, at the Maracanã Stadium. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which was once again played on home soil, Marcelo scored an own goal in the 11th minute of the…

Marcelo was praised by football legends such as Paolo Maldini and Diego Maradona, the latter of whom also called him the best left-back in the world. Marcelo has often been compared to fellow left-back Roberto Carlos, who himself described Marcelo as his heir in 2012. Carlos also commented on Marcelo's technical skills: "Marcelo possesses a better technical ability than me." Marcelo is widely regarded as one of the greatest left-backs of all time. Known for his attacking capabilities, Marcelo mainly plays as a full-back or wing-back, but he can also play on the left wing or in midfield. His movement on the ball, explosive pace, agility, and dribbling skills frequently see him beat opponents in one-on-one situations with feints. He is a threat on counter-attacks, as he can penetrate the opponent’s defense with deep runs or get into positions where he can receive the ball often and create goals. Moreover, his crossing ability, precise passing, and his vision also allow him to function as a secondary playmaker for his team, as he can create goalscoring chances for his teammates. While naturally left-footed, he is also adept with his right foot. Despite his ability going forward, however, the defensive side of Marcelo's game has been brought into question by pundits on occasion, who have cited his defensive abilities, work-rate, and awareness as weaknesses that are in need of improvement.

In 2008, Marcelo married his longtime girlfriend Clarice Alves. On 24 September 2009, they had their first child, a son named Enzo Alves. Their second son, Liam, was born on 1 September 2015. Marcelo has many tattoos, including his shirt number and his day of birth (12) tattooed, which are both on his left arm. He mentioned his grandfather, Pedro Vieira, as the inspiration for his football career; his grandfather supported him financially so that he could start his career in Brazil. His grandfather died in July 2014, during the World Cup; Marcelo wanted to withdraw from the tournament to attend his funeral but stayed with the Brazil team to honor his grandfather's wishes. On 26 July 2011, Marcelo attained Spanish nationality, which allows him to be registered as an EU player rather than as a non-EU player, of which there is a strict quota allowed.