35-year-old Brazilian football legend Kaka announced his retirement from football today (17 December). After an illustrious career in football, the attacking midfielder decided to hang up his boots to possibly look at a managerial or sports director role.
Kaka spent his youth days playing for Sao Paulo before he was brought over to Italy by giants AC Milan at the age of 20, where he played alongside Clarence Seedorf, Andriy Shevchenko, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo and Paolo Maldini. In 2007 he won the UEFA Champions League after AC Milan beat Liverpool 2 – 1, and won the Ballon D’or in that same year.
Fast forward 2009, the attacking midfielder moved to Real Madrid for a fee of 68 million Euros on a six-year deal. But his time in Madrid was marred by injury but he did manage 120 appearances, bagging 32 assists, and 29 for the club.
2103 saw him returned to Milan on a free transfer but his time in Italy was short lived as he was approached by Orlando City where he joined the MLS in the United States. The deal saw him become highest paid player in the history of the league at the time grossing over $6.6 million a year.
The playmaker was well known for his effortless style of play. He played with elegance and with great control of the ball, often playing the role of supporting the striker.
Notable Trophies and Awards
2002 FIFA World Cup
2005 and 2009 FIFA Confed Cup
2006/07 UEFA Champions League
2007 FIFA Ballon D’ or
2007 UEFA Best Player in Europe
2011/12 Spanish La Liga
