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Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite ( born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká (Portuguese: [ka?ka] ( listen)) or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Milan and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club. At the time, he also played tennis, and it was not until he moved on to São Paulo FC and signed his first professional contract with the club at the age of 15 that he chose to focus on football.
In 2003 he joined Milan for a fee of €8.5 million. While at Milan, Kaká won the Ballon dOr and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007. After his success with Milan, Kaká joined Real Madrid for a transfer fee of €65 million.At the time, this was the second highest transfer fee (in euros) ever, behind only the €75 million fee for Zinedine Zidane. After four seasons in Spain, he returned to Milan in 2013. He has been a Brazilian international player since 2002, and was selected for their victorious World Cup squad that year, as well as two more editions of the tournament.
In addition to his contributions on the pitch, Kaká is known for his humanitarian work. In 2004, by the time of his appointment, he became the youngest ambassador of the UN World Food Programme. Kaká was the first sportsperson to amass 10 million followers on Twitter.
Early life
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite was born in Gama, in Brazil, to Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite (a civil engineer) and Simone dos Santos (an elementary school teacher). He had a financially secure upbringing that allowed him to focus on both school and football at the same time. His younger brother Rodrigo (best known as Digão) and cousin Eduardo Delani are also professional footballers.
When he was seven, Kakás family moved to São Paulo. His school had arranged him in a local youth club called "Alphaville," who qualified to the final in a local tournament.There he was discovered by hometown club São Paulo FC, who offered an assignment.
At the age of 18, Kaká suffered a career-threatening and possibly paralysis-inducing spinal fracture as a result of a swimming pool accident, but remarkably made a full recovery. He attributes his recovery to God and has since tithed his income to his church.
Real Madrid
On 3 June 2009, Football Italia reported that newly elected Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had offered Milan a €68.5 million deal for Kaká, two days after the player had left for international duty with Brazil. Milan vice president Adriano Galliani did not deny the reports, and confirmed that he and Kakás father, Bosco Leite, had traveled to Mexico to meet with La Volpe. "We had lunch and spoke about Kaká. I dont deny it. Negotiations exist, but a deal has yet to be done."On 4 June, Galliani told Gazzetta dello Sport that financial reasons were his motive for the talks with La Volpe. "We cannot allow [Milan] to lose €70 million ... The reasons behind Kakás departure would be economic." On 8 June, Milan and Real Madrid confirmed Kaká has moved to the Bernabéu on a six-year deal.
Kaká made his unofficial debut on 7 August 2009, in a 5–1 friendly victory against Toronto FC. He scored his first goal for Madrid during a pre-season match on 19 August 2009, in a 5–0 victory against Borussia Dortmund. Kaká later made his league debut on 29 August 2009 in a 3–2 win against Deportivo La Coruña.He scored his first goal, a penalty kick, on 23 September, in a 2–0 win against Villarreal. Real Madrid finished the season as Runners-up in La Liga, with Kaká scoring 8 goals and providing 6 assists in La Liga, and 9 goals and 8 assists in all competitions.
On 5 August 2010, Real Madrid announced that Kaká had undergone a successful surgery on a long-standing left knee injury and would face up to four months on the sidelines. Kaká returned to training after a long lay-off and manager Jose Mourinho said that having Kaká back was like a new signing.
International career
Kaká was called up for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, but the Brazilians crashed out to Ghana in the quarter-finals. Several months later, he made his debut for the senior Brazil squad in a friendly match against Bolivia on 31 January 2002. He was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, but played only 25 minutes,all of which were in the first round match against Costa Rica.
In 2003, Kaká was the captain for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, where Brazil, competing with their under-23 team, finished as runner-up to Mexico. He scored three goals during the tournament. He was included in Brazils squad for 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany. He appeared in all five matches and scored one goal in a 4–1 win over Argentina in the final.
Kaká started in his first FIFA World Cup finals in 2006 and scored his first and only goal of the tournament in Brazils 1–0 victory over Croatia in Brazils opener, for which he was named Man of the Match. He was unable to keep up the momentum for the remainder of the tournament, as Brazil was eliminated by France in the quarter-finals. In a friendly against rivals Argentina on 3 September 2006, after entering as a substitute, he received the ball off a deflection from an Argentina corner kick and outran Lionel Messi while taking the ball down three quarters of the field to score.
On 12 May 2007, citing an exhaustive schedule of Serie A, Champions League, and national team play, Kaká bowed out of the 2007 Copa América, which Brazil won. After missing out on the Copa América, he returned to play in Brazils friendly match against Algeria on 22 August 2007.
Kaká participated in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, marking his first international tournament since the 2006 World Cup. His only two goals came in Brazils group stage opener against Egypt on 14 June, when he scored a goal in the fifth minute and then added a 90th-minute penalty in Brazils 4–3 victory. Kaká also provided two assists throughout the tournament. He received the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament at the Confederations Cup and was also named the Man of the Match in the final after helping Brazil to a 3–2 win against the United States.
International appearances
As of 8 April 2014
| Brazil | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2002 | 5 | 1 |
| 2003 | 10 | 5 |
| 2004 | 8 | 3 |
| 2005 | 13 | 3 |
| 2006 | 11 | 5 |
| 2007 | 12 | 5 |
| 2008 | 3 | 1 |
| 2009 | 13 | 3 |
| 2010 | 7 | 1 |
| 2012 | 3 | 2 |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 87 | 29 |
Honours
Club
- São Paulo
• Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 2001
Milan
• Serie A: 2003–04
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2004
• UEFA Champions League: 2006–07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2007
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2007
Real Madrid
• La Liga: 2011–12
• Copa del Rey: 2010–11
• Supercopa de España: 2012
Country
• FIFA World Cup: 2002
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005, 2009
Individual
• Revista Placar Bola de Ouro: 2002
• Campeonato Brasileiro Bola de Prata (best player by position): 2002
• CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2003
• Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2006, 2007
• Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2007
• UEFA Champions League Bronze Top scorer: 2005–06
• UEFA Champions League Best Midfielder: 2005
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2006, 2007,2009
• FIFPro World XI: 2006, 2007, 2008
• Pallone dArgento: 2006–07
• UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 2006–07
• UEFA Champions League Best Forward: 2006–07
• UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2006–07
• FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2007
• Ballon dOr: 2007
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2007
• Toyota Award: 2007
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 2007
• Onze dOr: 2007
• World Soccer Player of the Year: 2007
• IFFHS Worlds Best Playmaker: 2007
• IAAF Latin Sportsman of the Year: 2007
• Time 100: 2008, 2009
• Maracanã Hall of Fame: 2008
• Samba dOr: 2008
• FIFA Team of the Year: 2008
• FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball: 2009
• FIFA Confederations Cup Best XI: 2009
• Marca Leyenda: 2009
Ricardo Kaká - The Master of Football - Tribute | HD
RicardoKaka - World Soccer
Ricardo Kaka All Goals With Brazil
Gallery
Fig : Kaká in Moscow
Fig :Kaká and former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Fig :Kaká in action with Milan against Torino on 19 April 2009
Fig :Kaká during his presentation with Real Madrid
Fig :Kaká with Real Madrid against Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League
Fig :Kaká with Brazil
Fig :Kaká (left) playing for Brazil at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Fig : A declaration of his Christian faith