Birth
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite was born in Gama, Federal District, to Simone dos Santos, an elementary school teacher, and Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite, a civil engineer.
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History of Kaká
Thursday Apr 22, 1982 to Present
Gama, Brazil, Madrid, Milan, U.S.
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (born 22 April 1982, commonly known as Kaká) or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Owing to his performances at Milan where he was an elite playmaker, Kaká is widely considered one of the best players of his generation. With success at club and international level, he is one of eight players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or.
Began his career
Kaká began his career with São Paulo at the age of eight.
Recovery from God
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. He attributes his recovery to God and has since tithed his income to his church.
Senior side debut
He made his senior side debut on 1 February 2001 and scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, in addition to leading São Paulo to its first and only Torneio Rio-São Paulo championship, in which he scored two goals in two minutes as a substitute against Botafogo in the final, which São Paulo won 2–1.
International debut
He made his debut for the senior Brazil squad in a friendly match against Bolivia on 31 January 2002.
World Cup 2002
Kaka won World Cup 2002
2003 Season
His Serie A debut was in a 2–0 win over Ancona. He scored ten goals in 30 appearances that season, also providing several important assists, such as the cross which led to Shevchenko's title-deciding headed goal, as Milan won the Scudetto and the UEFA Super Cup, whilst finishing as runner up in the Intercontinental Cup and the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana.
To Milan
The steady European interest in Kaká culminated in his signing with the European champions, Italian club A.C. Milan, in 2003 for a fee of reported €8.5 million, described in retrospect as "peanuts" by club owner Silvio Berlusconi. Within a month, he cracked the starting lineup, replacing Rui Costa in the attacking midfield playmaking position, behind strikers Jon Dahl Tomasson, Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko.
First Rossoneri hat-trick
On 9 April 2006, he scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo, with all three goals scored in the second half.
First Champions League hat-trick
On 2 November 2006, he scored his first Champions League hat-trick in a 4–1 group stage win over the Belgian side Anderlecht.
Won the Champions League
Kaká won the Champions League title when Milan defeated Liverpool 2–1 on 23 May 2007, avenging the previous loss on penalties two years before.
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
On 30 August, Kaká was named by UEFA as both the top forward of the 2006–07 Champions League season and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, as well as being named as part of the UEFA Team of the Year for the second time.
UEFA Super Cup
Milan began its 2007–08 season by winning the UEFA Super Cup on 31 August, defeating Sevilla 3–1, with Kaká scoring the third goal.
200th career match with Milan
He played his 200th career match with Milan in a 1–1 home draw with Catania on 30 September, scoring from a penalty
2006–07 FIFPro World Player of the Year
On 5 October, he was named the 2006–07 FIFPro World Player of the Year, and was elected as part of the FIFPro World XI for the second time in his career.
The Ballon d'Or
On 2 December 2007, Kaká became the eighth Milan player to win the Ballon d'Or, as he finished with a decisive 444 votes, well ahead of runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo.
The FIFA Club World Cup
On 16 December, Kaká won the FIFA Club World Cup against Boca Juniors, scoring Milan's third goal of the match in a 4–2 victory which allowed them to be crowned World Champions.
2007 FIFA World Player of the Year
On 17 December, Kaká was voted the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year with 1,047 votes, ahead of Lionel Messi with 504 and Cristiano Ronaldo with 426.
2007 Serie A Footballer of the Year
In January 2008, Kaká was also named the 2007 Serie A Footballer of the Year, winning the award for the second time in his career.
A Contract extension
He signed a contract extension through 2013 with Milan on 29 February 2008.
Sidewalk of fame
On 14 October, he cast his footprints into the Estádio do Maracanã's sidewalk of fame, in a section dedicated to the memory of the country's top players.
A Bid from Manchester City
BBC reported on 13 January 2009 that Manchester City made a bid for Kaká for over £100 million.
Officially ended the bid
On 19 January, Silvio Berlusconi announced that Manchester City had officially ended their bid after a discussion between the clubs, and that Kaká would remain with Milan.
Real Madrid Offer
On 3 June 2009, it was reported that newly elected Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had offered to buy Kaká from Milan for a reported €68.5 million.
To Madrid
On 8 June, Milan and Real Madrid confirmed Kaká's move to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on a six-year deal for €67 million fee.
Real Madrid Player
Kaká was unveiled as a Real Madrid player on 30 June 2009.
First goal for Madrid
He scored his first goal for Madrid during a pre-season match on 19 August 2009, in a 5–0 victory against Borussia Dortmund.
League Debut
Kaká later made his league debut in Madrid on 29 August 2009 in a 3–2 win against Deportivo de La Coruña.
Left knee injury
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.
Iliotibial band syndrome
In March 2011, Kaká suffered from Iliotibial band syndrome, which kept him sidelined for a few weeks.
Supercopa de España
Real Madrid began the 2012–13 season by winning the Supercopa de España against rivals Barça.
The top Brazilian goalscorer in Champions League history
On 4 December 2012, after scoring in a 4–1 win against Ajax, Kaká became the top Brazilian goalscorer in Champions League history, with 28 goals.
Expressed his desire to leave Real Madrid
On 29 August 2013, Kaká expressed his desire to leave Real Madrid, having scored 29 goals and provided 32 assists in 120 appearances in all competitions over four seasons at the club.
Back to Milan
Milan confirmed that Kaká would join the club on 2 September 2013 from Real Madrid on a free transfer with only performance-related incentives owed to Madrid; after agreeing to personal terms, he signed a two-year contract.
300th match for Milan
On 29 March 2014, Kaká scored twice in a 3–0 win against Chievo, his 300th match for Milan.
Kaká had his Milan contract terminated
On 30 June 2014, Kaká had his Milan contract terminated through mutual consent despite having a year remaining, by activating a release clause as a result of the team not qualifying for European competitions.
To São Paulo
On 3 July 2014, Kaká arrived at São Paulo and began training the next day.
Designated Player
Kaka joined future MLS franchise Orlando City as their first Designated Player.
Draw on his MLS debut
On 8 March 2015, Kaká scored a free kick for the equaliser in a 1–1 draw on his MLS debut against New York City FC at the Citrus Bowl, the first in Orlando City's competitive history.
Retirement
Kaká announced his retirement on 17 December 2017, after turning down offers from former clubs São Paulo and Milan. He also expressed interest in working as a director, confirming that his former club Milan had offered him a role.