Kaká

Lore & Background

Kaká made his debut for Brazil's national football team in 2002 and was selected for the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad, which won the tournament that year. He also played in the 2006 World Cup, alongside other veterans like Ronaldo, Adriano, and Ronaldinho. He made his final World Cup appearance in 2010. He was a member of Brazil's 2005 and 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup-winning squads, winning the Golden Ball in 2009 as the tournament's best player.

Reader's Guide

Kaká began his career with São Paulo at age eight, signed a contract at 15, and made his senior debut on 1 February 2001. He joined AC Milan in 2003 for a fee of €8.5 million. He helped Milan win the Serie A title in his first season, and led Milan to win the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League, being the tournament's top goalscorer. After six years with Milan, he joined Real Madrid in 2009 for €67 million. He returned to AC Milan for a single season in 2013, then joined Orlando City SC, initially going on loan to São Paulo before returning to Orlando in 2015 and retiring in 2017.

Did You Know?

• Kaká was the first sportsperson to amass 10 million followers on Twitter.
• He became the youngest ambassador of the UN World Food Programme in 2004.
• Time named him one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2008 and 2009.
• He suffered a career-threatening spinal fracture from a swimming pool accident at age 18 but made a full recovery.