Kaká: the fast-running star who led AC Milan to European glory

Kaká was a Brazilian attacking midfielder who ran at full speed with the ball and split defences open. In 2007 he led AC Milan to the European title. He was the Champions League’s top scorer with ten goals. That year he also won both the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award¹³. He was part of the Brazil squad that won the 2002 World Cup and played 92 matches for Brazil²⁷.

Early life and beginnings

Kaká was born in Brazil in 1982⁹¹⁰. His full name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite⁵. He began his professional football career at São Paulo. After 12 matches in 2000-01, the 2001-02 season proved decisive for him, when he scored 18 goals in 36 matches. In his first spell at São Paulo he scored 21 goals in 64 matches¹.

Club career

In 2003 he joined the Italian club AC Milan. In his very first season, Milan won the 17th Italian league title in their history. In 2005-06 and 2007-08 he scored 19 goals in each season¹.

The 2006-07 season was the peak of his career. In the first leg of the Champions League semi-final he scored twice at Manchester United’s ground, although Milan lost that match 3-2. Milan reached the final. On 23 May 2007 they beat Liverpool 2-1 in Athens to win their seventh European Cup. Filippo Inzaghi’s second goal came from a Kaká pass. With ten goals, he was the tournament’s top scorer³. In August 2007 he also scored in Milan’s 3-1 win over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. At the end of the year Milan also won the Club World Cup¹⁴.

Kaká received the Ballon d’Or on 2 December 2007. According to UEFA, he received 444 points. Cristiano Ronaldo was second with 277 and Lionel Messi third with 255. Kaká said the award crowned a wonderful year for him³. He was also named FIFA World Player of the Year that year¹.

In 2009 Real Madrid bought him for €67 million. According to TNT Sports, he briefly became the world’s most expensive player, until Real paid more for Cristiano Ronaldo. Injuries affected his game in Madrid⁶. In four seasons he scored 29 goals in 120 matches and won the Spanish league, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup¹⁵.

In 2013-14 he returned to Milan and scored 9 goals in 37 matches. He then moved to the United States’ Major League Soccer as the biggest star of the newly admitted Orlando City. He also played for São Paulo for a short time in between¹. After his contract with Orlando ended, he announced his retirement from football on 17 December 2017⁶.

International career

At the 2002 World Cup, Kaká played in only one match. On 13 June 2002, in Brazil’s 5-2 win over Costa Rica, he came on in the 72nd minute for Rivaldo. Brazil won that World Cup⁷.

At the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa, he was named the best player of the tournament and received the Golden Ball. In the final against the United States, Brazil came back from two goals down to win 3-2. Kaká was named man of the match despite not scoring⁸. From 2002 to 2016 he scored 29 goals in 92 matches for Brazil².

Style of play

According to the AC Milan Hall of Fame, Kaká was known for “good feet and great speed”. He carried the ball from midfield on long runs and either scored himself or made the final pass. Inzaghi’s goal in the 2007 final came from such a pass⁴. He scored 104 goals for Milan¹.

Statistics

The club figures are taken from the season-by-season table on the AC Milan Hall of Fame page, and the Brazil figures from the RSSSF list of national team players, both on 20 October 2026¹².

Honours

• FIFA World Cup: 2002 [7]
• Confederations Cup: 2009, with the Golden Ball [8]
• Ballon d’Or: 2007 [3]
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 2007 [1]
• UEFA Champions League: 2007, top scorer (10 goals) [1][3]
• Italian Serie A: 2004 [1]
• UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup: 2007 [1][4]
• Spanish league, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup: once each [5]

Legacy

Kaká showed how a combination of speed and technique could make a midfielder the best player in the world. In 2007 he finished ahead of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the race for the Ballon d’Or³. Milan have inducted him into their Hall of Fame, where his role in the 2007 team is prominently recorded¹.