Sports Nicknames - Kaka
Brazilians have long been some of the most coveted footballers in the world. Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, who is more commonly known by the name Kaka, certainly falls into that category.
The name Kaka originated from his younger brother Rodrigo, who called him "Caca" due to his inability to pronounce "Ricardo" when they were younger. This nickname stuck and eventually transformed into Kaka.
Kaka started his career at Sao Paulo at the age of 8 before making his professional debut in 2001. After 2 seasons there, he drew interest from European giants AC Milan in 2003, who were European champions. They would go on to win Serie A in his opening season, as well as the UEFA Super Cup. In 2007, he would win the Champions League with Milan, before winning the Ballon d'Or in 2008.
That win would end up being the peak of Kaka's career, as he would land a €67 million move to Real Madrid. Kaka did manage to win La Liga in his time at the club, though he was consistently hampered by long-term injuries that sharply declined his past abilities. In 2013, his time at the Spanish club would come to an end.
He returned to AC Milan for a year, though the glory days of the club had passed. After a year, he then moved to the new MLS club Orlando City, where he would once again be the star player.
Kaka finally retired in 2017, with his greatest achievements having been his Ballon d'Or, Serie A title and Champions League. A graceful and skillful player who was hampered by injuries, it is wondered just how good he could have been.
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