World Cup 2010 in South Africa

Player profile: Kaká

Kaká World Cup 2010 profile Kaká is one of the very few players coming to the 2010 World Cup competition for the third consecutive time, and the player has already won the trophy in 2002 with Brazil. An outstanding player inside the field, Kaká is also an outstanding person in his every day life: The youngest ambassador of the United Nations since 2004, has also been contributing one tenth of every penny he makes to the church, as well as various programs and organisations around the world to fight hunger and help people in need. Kaká had a very serious injury when he was just 18 years old that almost left him paralysed for life, and his miraculous recovery is what pushed the talented footballer to devote himself into a greater cause, philanthropy and humanitarian work.

Kaká (or Ricardo as is his real name) started playing football at seven years old, but at the same time he was also trying his hand at…tennis. A few years later at 15 Kaká made the choice to focus on football, and signed his first professional contract in Brazil and São Paulo. Kaká scored 23 goals in just 59 appearances with his team, and in 2003 made the biggest jump of his career and signed with Serie A superpower AC Milan.

Kaká Milan photo Over the next few years Kaká won everything with Milan, while establishing himself as one of the best football players of his generation: Starting with a Serie A championship in 2004, and finishing with a Champions League title in 2007 followed by Super Cup and Club World Cup titles the same year. Kaká also won the Golden Ball and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007, the most successful season out of the player’s 6 years with AC Milan.

In 2009 Real Madrid offered 59 million pounds for Kaká, a record transfer fee at that time. Later on the player revealed that he joined the Spanish club in order to help AC Milan overcome their financial difficulties, saying “I could never allow Milan lose 70 million Euro…” Kaká has started for almost every game of Real Madrid this season, and has scored 8 goals so far in 22 appearances with the team.

Kaká Brazil photo Kaká was part of the Brazilian team that won the 2002 World Cup trophy, but as a young and new talent he only played 20 minutes in the entire tournament. For his second World Cup appearance in 2006 Kaká managed to score one goal in the opening game, but was unable to continue performing as well for the rest of the tournament and up until Brazil got eliminated in the quarter-finals. Coming to South Africa Kaká is definitely more experienced, an established player known everywhere in the world. And once again as always, Brazil is one of the grand favourites to win the 2010 World Cup with Kaká leading the way.