He won two World Cups and now his $8 million mansion is auctioned to pay his debts

Great soccer stars have the opportunity during their professional careers to live a dream life. Sporting success also brings money, fame and luxury. Millions of fans around the world want to be like them and show their love and admiration every time they are near them. But that success can be short-lived and things can change quickly once they retire.

Some stay involved in soccer, as coaches, chiefs, sporting directors, agents or media commentators. Others choose a very different path and pursue other activities, for example becoming entrepreneurs. But there is a third option: those who squander their fortune and prestige and end up in serious trouble.

Cafu was for more than a decade one of the best defenders in the world. He shone with the Brazilian National Team, becoming the player with the most appearances there (142) and reaching an incredible record: he is the only player in history to be in three consecutive World Cup finals (1994, 1998 and 2002), winning two of them. In addition, he was also very successful at the clubs he played for, winning titles with Sao Paulo, Zaragoza, AS Roma and AC Milan.

That success on the field allowed him to earn a fortune and buy several properties. Among them, a mansion valued at more than $8 million in Alphaville, a small city in the state of Sao Paulo. There he has luxuries such as six bedrooms, an elevator, cinema room and soccer field. But now he has problems.

He made bad decisions

Cafu has had in recent years many money problems. According to The Sun, since 2019 he has had five properties seized over financial debts. And this year the same happened with the mansion in Alphaville, which was auctioned off for less money than it is worth ($5 million) to help settle his massive debts.