Kaká takes a corner kick for Madrid in a La Liga game against Sevilla in February 2013
Kaká takes a corner kick for Madrid in a La Liga game against Sevilla in February 2013
Kaká was born Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite on April 22, 1982, in Gama, Federal District, Brazil, to Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite, a civil engineer, and Simone dos Santos, an elementary-school teacher. His brother, Rodrigo, better known as Digão, is also a professional footballer.
Ricardo's 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 him a place in the youth academy.
At age 15 Ricardo was given a contract, but his progress was interrupted three years later by a serious spinal injury (sustained in a swimming accident), which threatened his career. He recovered, however, and made his first-team debut in January 2001. That year he scored 12 goals in 27 matches as an attacking midfield player. In 2002 he debuted on the Brazilian national team, playing in a match against Bolivia, and later that year Brazil won the World Cup.
Kaká’s growing exposure on the world stage prompted interest from leading European clubs, and in August 2003 AC Milan signed him for $8.5 million. He made his first appearance in Italy the next month in a 2–0 win over Ancona. Kaká was equally adept at initiating and finishing attacks, and his forceful all-around skills developed with Milan. Kaká finished eighth and seventh, respectively, in balloting for FIFA Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006 before winning almost every available honour in 2007, when he was named both European Player of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year. In addition, Milan won the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League title in 2007.
After signing an extension with Milan in early 2008, Kaká became the highest-paid footballer in the world, with an annual income from the game alone amounting to €8 million (about $12 million) and extensive corporate sponsorship deals. Although he professed a desire to finish his career in Milan, Kaká transferred to Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid in June 2009, a move that was spurred by the Italian club’s dire financial straits. He was a key figure on the Real squads that won the 2011 Copa del Rey (Spanish cup) and the 2011–12 La Liga (Spanish top division) title. In 2013 Kaká returned to AC Milan. The following year Kaká and Milan mutually agreed to terminate his contract, and he signed to play with the expansion team Orlando City SC of North America’s Major League Soccer (MLS), which began play in 2015. (He was loaned to São Paolo for the 2014–15 season.) Unlike other notable stars who played in the MLS toward the end of their careers, Kaká kept up his strong play in the U.S., earning All-Star honours in each of his first two seasons with Orlando City. He retired from professional football in December 2017.
Ricardo has received numerous club honors and individual awards throughout his career. Some of his noteworthy honors include the ‘Bola de Ouro’ (2002), the ‘Bola de Prata’ (2002), the ‘CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI’ (2003), the ‘Serie A Footballer of the Year’ ( 2004, 2007), and the ‘Pallone d'Argento’ (2006–2007).
From 2008 to 2015, Ricardo was honored with the ‘Ballon d'Or’ (2007), the ‘FIFA World Player of the Year’ (2007), the ‘MARCA Legend Award’ (2009), and the ‘AC Milan Hall of Fame’ (2010). He was part of the ‘MLS All-Star’ on multiple occasions (2015, 2016, 2017). He also made it to the ‘Time 100,’ a list of the most influential people, in both 2008 and 2009.
Kaká is an incredibly devout Evangelical Christian who inserts his faith into nearly every interaction with the public.
Kaká hasn't taken a political stance.
Quotations:
"I learnt that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not."
"It is not my place to make judgments about the behavior of any other footballer. Cars and women, things like that, have never been important to me. My family, and my belief in God and Jesus are the things which determine my life. I do want to live my life in the right way, and live my life close to God."
"But I have seen il Fenomeno do things that nobody else has ever done."
"The World Cup was a huge frustration because I had prepared really hard for it. But in the World Cup there is no formula, no recipe for success."
"If things happen it's because God has prepared me. God has great things for us. If it's God's will that I be there, there I will be."
Physical Characteristics: 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 made a full recovery.
Quotes from others about the person
"I remember how badly we took it as a team when Kaká left Milan. For two or three years he was the best player in the world. There was a point when teams just had no idea how to stop him."
— Milan teammate and Italian playmaker Andrea Pirlo on Kaká leaving the club.
"He's the complete player."
—Pelé on Kaká after he was named the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year.
"For two, maybe three seasons [at Milan] he was the best player in the world, there was nothing he couldn’t do."
—Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho on Kaká.
Kaká married his childhood sweetheart, Caroline Lyra Celico, on December 23, 2005. Soon, they had two children: a son, Luca, and a daughter, Isabella. The couple divorced in 2015.
Kaká has been dating Brazilian model Carolina Dias since 2016.
