Background Information
Brazilian retired professional football player Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (born April 22, 1982), sometimes referred to as Kaká or Ricardo Kaká, was an attacking midfielder. Kaká is regarded as one of the best players of all time and was renowned for his quick speed, dribbling, passing, and goal-scoring abilities. He is one of nine players to win the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Cup, and the Ballon d’Or, and he has achieved success for both club and country.
In 2001, Kaká made his professional debut with São Paulo, a Brazilian club, at the age of 18. Later, in 2003, he joined the Italian team AC Milan. In his debut season, Kaká enabled Milan to win the Serie A championship. Kaká was the tournament’s leading assist provider and the UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year, helping Milan finish second in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League. He was the top goal scorer in the UEFA Champions League and helped Milan win it in 2006–07. He won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award, the 2007 Ballon d’Or, and FIFA World Player of the Year for his efforts.
In 2009, Kaká left Milan after six years to join Real Madrid for €67 million, the second-highest transfer fee at the time. But he suffered from injuries during his four seasons at Madrid, which caused his speed to drop. Before joining Orlando City SC, an MLS expansion team, he spent one season back at AC Milan in 2013. Before returning to Orlando in 2015 and ending his professional football career in 2017, he first went on loan to his old team, São Paulo.
After making his debut for Brazil’s national football team in 2002, Kaká was chosen for the side that won the FIFA World Cup that year. Alongside other veterans like Ronaldinho, Adriano, and Ronaldo, he also participated in the 2006 World Cup. In 2010, he played in his final World Cup. In addition, he was a part of Brazil’s FIFA Confederations Cup-winning teams in 2005 and 2009, where he was named the tournament’s best player and received the Golden Ball.
He was included in the FIFA World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year three times between 2006 and 2009. He was inducted into the AC Milan Hall of Fame in 2010. During his playing career, Kaká was one of the most well-known athletes in the world and the first athlete to reach 10 million Twitter followers. Outside of sports, Kaká is well-known for his humanitarian efforts; in 2004, he was appointed as the UN World Food Programme’s youngest ambassador. In 2008 and 2009, Time named Kaká one of the 100 most influential persons in the world for his work on and off the field.
Early Life
Simone dos Santos, an elementary school teacher, and Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite, a civil engineer, welcomed Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite into the world on April 22, 1982, in Gama, in the Federal District of the Central-West Region of Brazil. Because of his family’s financial stability, he was able to concentrate on both football and education. Both his cousin Eduardo Delani and younger brother Digão play football professionally. When they were young, Digão called him “Caca” since he couldn’t pronounce “Ricardo”; this subsequently changed to Kaká. There is no precise Portuguese translation for the word.
Kaká’s family relocated to the state of São Paulo when he was seven years old. He was placed in the local youth club “Alphaville” by his school, and they advanced to the championship game of a local competition. São Paulo FC, his hometown team, saw him there and offered him a spot in the junior academy. After a swimming pool accident at the age of 18, Kaká suffered a potentially career-ending spinal fracture but recovered completely. Since then, he has tithed his earnings to his church and credits God with helping him recover.
Club Career
São Paulo
When Kaká was eight years old, he started playing for São Paulo. He led the São Paulo youth team to Copa de Juvenil victory after signing a contract at the age of 15. In addition to guiding São Paulo to its first and only Torneio Rio-São Paulo championship, where he scored two goals in two minutes as a replacement against Botafogo in the final, which São Paulo won 2-1, he made his senior team debut on February 1, 2001, and scored 12 goals in 27 games.
The following season, he scored 10 goals in 22 games, and by this point, European clubs were taking notice of his play. Kaká played for São Paulo in 58 games and scored 23 goals.
AC Milan
In 2003, Kaká signed with the Italian club AC Milan, the European champions, for a reported €8.5 million, which club owner Silvio Berlusconi later referred to as “peanuts” due to the consistent interest in him throughout Europe. He made his debut in the starting lineup within a month, taking Rui Costa’s place in the attacking midfield playmaking role, behind forwards Andriy Shevchenko, Filippo Inzaghi, and Jon Dahl Tomasson. In a 2-0 victory over Ancona, he made his Serie A debut. He finished second in the Intercontinental Cup and the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana, but he scored 10 goals in 30 games that season and contributed several crucial assists, including the cross that set up Shevchenko’s game-winning header. Milan won the Scudetto and the UEFA Super Cup.
In addition, Milan advanced to the Coppa Italia semifinals before falling to eventual champion Lazio, and they were eliminated by Deportivo La Coruña in the Champions League quarterfinals. Kaká’s efforts in his first season earned him the title of Serie A Footballer of the Year in 2004. He was also nominated for the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year (finished 10th) and the Ballon d’Or (finishing 15th).
When Milan defeated Liverpool 2-1 on May 23, 2007, Kaká won the Champions League trophy. The team had lost to Liverpool in penalties two years prior. Despite going scoreless, he assisted on Filippo Inzaghi’s second goal and won a free kick that resulted in the first of his two goals. On August 30, UEFA announced Kaká as the 2006–07 Champions League season’s top forward and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. He was also included in the UEFA Team of the Year for the second consecutive year. He was chosen as the 2007 IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker and finished as the second-best assist-provider in the Champions League with five assists.
Real Madrid
Two days after Kaká left for Brazil’s international team, on June 3, 2009, it was announced that Florentino Pérez, the recently elected president of Real Madrid, had made an offer to purchase the player from Milan for an estimated €68.5 million. Adriano Galliani, the CEO and vice-chairman of Milan, said that he and Kaká’s father, Bosco Leite, had visited La Volpe in Mexico: “We had lunch and talked about Kaká. I don’t dispute it. There are talks going on, but no agreement has been reached yet. Galliani explained to Gazzetta dello Sport on June 4 that he was negotiating with La Volpe for financial reasons: “We cannot allow [Milan] to lose €70 million…” Kaká’s departure was due to economic factors.
Kaká’s transfer to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on a six-year contract for €67 million was confirmed by Milan and Real Madrid on June 8.
On June 30, 2009, Kaká was announced as a Real Madrid player. On August 7, 2009, he made his unofficial debut in a friendly game over Toronto FC, winning 5-1. In a 5–0 victory over Borussia Dortmund on August 19, 2009, he scored his first goal for Real Madrid in a preseason game. Later, on August 29, 2009, Kaká made his league debut in a 3–2 victory over Deportivo de La Coruña. In a 2-0 victory over Villarreal on September 23, he scored his first goal—a penalty. With nine goals and eight assists across all competitions, and eight goals and six assists in La Liga, Kaká helped Real Madrid complete the season as runners-up.
After spending four seasons at Real Madrid, scoring 29 goals and dishing out 32 assists in 120 appearances across all competitions, Kaká announced his intention to quit the team on August 29, 2013. In an open message posted on Twitter, he bid farewell to Real Madrid and its supporters.
AC Milan Return
Kaká agreed to personal terms and signed a two-year contract after Milan confirmed that he will join the team on September 2, 2013, on a free transfer from Real Madrid, with only performance-related incentives payable to Madrid. Kaká was assigned the number 22 shirt, the same number he wore for Milan during his first stint, and his contract was worth €4 million net annually. When he arrived, he was also appointed vice-captain. In his second stint as Milan’s captain, he stole the armband from goalie Marco Amelia during a game against Chiasso.
According to a June 2014 source, Kaká had advanced talks with Orlando City SC to join the team when they join Major League Soccer (MLS) in January 2015. Despite having a year left on his contract, Kaká’s Milan contract was mutually ended on June 30, 2014, after a release clause was activated due to the team’s failure to qualify for European competitions.
Orlando City
Kaká became the first designated player for Orlando City, a potential Major League Soccer team. He mentioned Flávio Augusto da Silva, the Brazilian owner, as the reason he signed, saying he had “always” wanted to play in the United States. Kaká described his loan to his first club, São Paulo, as “really satisfying” prior to Orlando’s league debut in 2015.
With an annual base pay of US$6.6 million and a guaranteed compensation of $7.2 million, Kaká’s deal with Orlando City made him the highest-paid player in MLS history.
São Paulo Loan
Kaká landed in São Paulo on July 3, 2014, and the following day he started training. On July 27, 2014, he made a comeback in a league game against Goiás, starting and scoring a goal in the 76th minute, despite the fact that his side lost 2-1. On September 4, 2014, Kaká scored in a 2-0 victory over Criciúma in the Copa Sudamericana second round. Kaká scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Vitória on November 9, 2014.
Retirement
On December 17, 2017, Kaká confirmed his retirement after declining offers from AC Milan and São Paulo, his previous teams. He confirmed that Milan had extended an offer to him and added that he was interested in becoming a director.
International Career
Although the Brazilians lost badly to Ghana in the quarterfinals of the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, Kaká was called up for the competition. A few months later, on January 31, 2002, he made his debut for the senior Brazil team in a friendly match against Bolivia. Despite playing only 25 minutes, he was a member of Brazil’s 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning team in Korea/Japan, which defeated Costa Rica 5–2 in the opening round on June 13.
As captain, Kaká led Brazil’s under-23 squad to second place at the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup, when they lost to Mexico. Throughout the competition, he scored three goals.
Brazil’s team for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany included Kakà. He played in all five games, and in the final, he scored one goal in a 4-1 victory over Argentina.
In 2006, Kaká made his FIFA World Cup debut and scored his first and only goal of the competition with a 25-yard effort in Brazil’s opening match triumph of 1-0 over Croatia, earning him the title of Man of the Match. France defeated Brazil in the quarterfinals, with French sensation Thierry Henry scoring the winning goal, and Kaká was unable to sustain the pace for the rest of the competition.
Style of Play
According to the FIFA website, Kaká is considered to be among the best midfielders in the history of the game and one of the best players of his generation. He has the “capacity to glide almost effortlessly past opponents, provide defense-splitting passes and score consistently from distance.” Kaká was a bright, fast, and diligent player who could dribble past opponents in one-on-one situations and during counterattacks while he was at Milan and before his injuries at Real Madrid.
“Kaká had the force of a freight train when he ran forward with the ball,” ESPN’s Tim Vickery observed. He skillfully combined might and grace. Regarding the effects of his knee and groin problems at Madrid, he also noted that “once his acceleration had been reduced, he lacked the subtlety to shine as before.” He “was already on the wane” by 2009, according to BBC’s Carl Anka, who claims that his “knee and groin problems sapped him of the explosive half-yard burst he needed to navigate the corridors of midfield uncertainty.”
Kaká’s reputation and status in football have been “lost in a haze” because he was the final player to win FIFA World Player of the Year (in 2007) before Messi and Ronaldo dominated the following ten years, Anka continues.
According to Ronaldinho, “He was the best player in the world for two or three seasons [at Milan].” “There was nothing he couldn’t do,” says Andrea Pirlo, a teammate from Milan, “and there was a time when teams simply didn’t know how to stop him.” Kaká was well known for his passing and vision, which gave him the ability to set up teammates for goals. Although Kaká spent his whole career as an attacking midfielder, he was also capable of playing as a winger or a deep-lying playmaker.
In addition to these qualities, Kaká, who was naturally right-footed, had a strong and accurate strike with both feet. In addition, he was a precise penalty taker and could bend the ball. Kaká was ranked 42nd on 90min.com’s list of “The 50 Greatest Footballers of All Time” in 2020.
Personal Life
On December 23, 2005, Kaká wed Caroline Celico, his childhood sweetheart, at a Rebirth in Christ church in São Paulo. The pair has two kids: a girl and a son. Kaká and Celico used social media to announce their divorce in 2015.
Kaká became a citizen of Italy on February 12, 2007. He appeared in numerous ads for Adidas. Additionally, he has a modeling contract with Armani, which kept him from being featured in a 2007 photo collection of Milan players published by Dolce & Gabbana, Armani’s rival.
Alongside colleague and world-renowned player Ronaldinho, Kaká appeared on the cover of the Italian version of EA Sports’ FIFA video game FIFA 07; he also appeared on the covers of the regional versions of FIFA 11, FIFA 12, and FIFA 16. In FIFA 20, he was one of the Ultimate Team Icons.
Raí, the former captain of São Paulo FC and member of the Brazilian national team, was cited by Kaká as his football role model. Because they were the best men at each other’s weddings, he is best friends with Marcelo Saragosa, a former professional football player. Additionally, he has a good friendship with Radamel Falcao, a striker for Colombia.
Kaká became the first athlete to reach 10 million Twitter followers in April 2012. With 33 million Facebook fans as of March 2015, Kaká ranked fifth among sportsmen in terms of social media following, behind Neymar, David Beckham, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Faith
Kaká is an active member of the Rebirth in Christ Church, which is situated in São Paulo, and is an evangelical Christian. Around the age of twelve, he had a deep interest in religion: “I learned that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not.” Following Milan’s 2004 Scudetto and 2007 Champions League victories, as well as Brazil’s 2002 World Cup victory, he publicly participated in prayers and took off his jersey to display a “I Belong to Jesus” T-shirt. Additionally, he had “God Is Faithful” and the same phrase sewn onto the tongues of his boots. He and a number of his teammates wore T-shirts that said “Jesus Loves You” in multiple languages during the celebration following Brazil’s 4-1 victory over Argentina in the 2005 Confederations Cup final.
When he was given the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award in 2007, he stated that his first goal was to play one game for the Brazil national team and be a professional player for São Paulo, but that “God gave [him] more than he ever asked for.” He honors God by pointing to the sky during his goal celebration. Gospel music is Kaká’s favorite genre, while the Bible is his favorite book. Kaká declared his desire to become an evangelical pastor in a 2006 interview with the Brazilian newspaper O Globo.
Kaká was the youngest to serve as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme in 2004, and he has been doing so since November 2004. Kaká declared in August 2015 that he would major in sports marketing at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. He declared his engagement to Brazilian model Carolina Dias on Instagram on January 5, 2019. In the 2018 Brazilian presidential election, Kaká was among a number of Brazilian football players that backed Jair Bolsonaro.