A pair of top team trophies and all the biggest individual awards, 2007 was definitely Kaka’s year, and there is still the promise of much more to come. The 25-year-old Brazilian was instrumental in AC Milan’s Champions League triumph, sealed with a victory over Liverpool in Athens in May. He was the top scorer of the competition with 10 goals, including three in the semi-final win over Manchester United.
Then, on December 16, the Italian team won FIFA’s Club World Cup, beating South American champions Boca Juniors 4:2 at the final in Yokohama. Kaka scored one goal, set up two others and took the best player of the tournament prize. Not even two days later, on the evening of December 17, he was named FIFA’s world player of the year, beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the honour. In a poll of all national coaches and captains, Kaka received 1047 votes, Messi 504 and Ronaldo 426.
The attacking midfielder, whose real name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, was also crowned European player of the year on December 2, winning France Football magazine’s Golden Ball. A panel of 96 international journalists voted on a shortlist of 50 players. In October Kaka was named FIFPro world player of the year, claiming that accolade based on a voles of the 45 000-member players’ union.
The only thing Kaka didn’t win this year was the Copa America, but this was only because he didn’t take part in it. Kaka opted out of the main international football tournament for South America to rest. Brazil won the competition in style, beating arch-rival Argentina 3:0 in the final.
The FIFA world player crown was a highlight of a fantastic season for Kaka. A devout Christian, he said had never expected to reach such heights in the sport. “It’s really special for me – it was a dream for me just to play for Sao Paulo and one game for Brazil,” he said. “But the Bible says God can give you more than you even ask for and that is what has happened in my life. I had always thought about winning this award, but there are always doubts until it is actually confirmed. It is not just this award but the whole year that has been very nice. Winning the Champions League and everything that has happened, it’s just been wonderful.”
Kaka has already won 54 caps for Brazil, scoring 19 goals since his debut in January 2002. He was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, but played only 19 minutes in the first round match against Costa Rica. During the final game against Germany, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was reportedly about to send Kaka on as a substitute, but he never made it into the game as the referee did not notice him waving on the sidelines be allowed to enter the game. At the World Cup 2006 Kaka scored for a 1:0 victory over Croatia in the opening match but Brazil were eliminated by France in the quarterfinals.
The legendary Pele, one of Kaka’s predecessors in Brazil’s famous yellow shirts, was given the FIFA presidential award for his lifetime contribution to football. “My father told me it was a gift from God to play football,” a tearful Pele said. The three-times world cup-winner went on to praise Kaka as a worthy winner of the award. “Ronaldo and Messi have played some great football this year but they are not yet the most prominent players in their national teams. Kaka has been playing at this level for Brazil for four years now, he helps out in midfield and he is also a great example off the pitch. He’s the complete player.”
Barcelona’s gesture of displaying the name of the children’s fund Unicef on their shirts was recognised with the FIFA Fair Play Award. In the women’s player of the year category, Brazil’s Marta won the award for the second year running, beating Germany’s World Cup-winning captain Birgit Prinz and her fellow Brazilian Cristiane.
