"Kaka"

by Gena Milanesi

Print Size 11 x 14 in

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite ; (born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká, is a Brazilian football midfielder who currently plays for Real Madrid C.F.[1] and the Brazilian national team. He started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club. By then, he also played tennis,[2] and it was not until he moved on to São Paulo FC and signed his first professional contract with the club at the age of fifteen that he chose to focus on football. In 2003 he joined A.C. Milan for a fee of €8.5 million. While at Milan, Kaká won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007. In addition to his contributions on the pitch, Kaká is known for his humanitarian work. In 2004, by the time of his appointment, he became the youngest ambassador of the United Nations' World Food Programme.