Kaká

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite—known worldwide as Kaká—was born on 22 April 1982 in Gama, Brazil. His father was a civil engineer, his mother an elementary school teacher, and the family’s financial stability let him balance school and football. The nickname “Kaká” came from his younger brother Digão, who couldn’t pronounce “Ricardo” as a toddler. (The word has no direct translation in Portuguese.) At age seven, his family moved to São Paulo, where a school tournament led to his discovery by São Paulo FC. When he was 18, a swimming-pool accident caused a career-threatening spinal fracture; he recovered fully and has since credited God, tithing his income to his church.

Kaká debuted for São Paulo’s senior side in February 2001. He scored 12 goals in 27 appearances that season, including two goals in two minutes as a substitute in the final of the Torneio Rio-São Paulo, which São Paulo won 2–1. The next year he added ten goals in 22 matches. In total for São Paulo, he made 58 appearances and scored 23 times.

European clubs took notice, and in 2003 Kaká joined AC Milan for about €8.5 million—a fee club owner Silvio Berlusconi later called “peanuts.” Within a month, Kaká had replaced Rui Costa in the starting lineup as the attacking midfielder. In his first Serie A season, he scored ten goals in 30 matches and provided several key assists, including the cross for Andriy Shevchenko’s title-winning header. Milan won the Scudetto and the UEFA Super Cup that year, and Kaká was named Serie A Footballer of the Year. He finished 15th in the Ballon d’Or voting and 10th in the FIFA World Player of the Year rankings.

In the 2004–05 Champions League, Kaká was the tournament’s top assist provider and was named UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year, though Milan finished as runners-up. Two years later, he led Milan to the 2006–07 Champions League title and was the competition’s top scorer. That season earned him the Ballon d’Or, the FIFA World Player of the Year award, and the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year honor. After six years at Milan, Kaká moved to Real Madrid in 2009 for a fee of €67 million—then the second-highest transfer in history. His four seasons in Spain were marked by injuries that slowed his pace. He returned to Milan for one season in 2013, then joined MLS expansion side Orlando City SC. Before playing for Orlando, he went on loan to his former club São Paulo. He returned to Orlando in 2015 and retired from professional football in 2017.

Kaká made his Brazil national team debut in 2002 and was part of the squad that won the World Cup that year. He also played in the 2006 World Cup alongside Ronaldo, Adriano, and Ronaldinho, and made his final World Cup appearance in 2010. He was on Brazil’s 2005 and 2009 Confederations Cup–winning teams, earning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player in 2009.

Between 2006 and 2009, Kaká was named to both the FIFA World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year three times. In 2010, he was inducted into the AC Milan Hall of Fame. Off the pitch, he became the youngest ambassador of the UN World Food Programme in 2004. Time magazine listed him among the world’s 100 most influential people in 2008 and again in 2009. He was also the first sportsperson to reach 10 million followers on Twitter.