Ricardo Izecson grew up in the shadow of samba superstars but eventually forged his own path in football.

Kaka claimed the final Ballon d'Or before the Messi-Ronaldo dominance took hold in football

[{"selector":"#anim-c94ed70c-2fda-405c-80cc-93be8bf02a10","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-109a6cac-5a8d-47fd-9515-6ac04aac16e2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.43421%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3964523f-a8d0-4024-a202-352330705311","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

He dazzled audiences with his extraordinary vision and classic South American dribbling skills.

[{"selector":"#anim-e0da92fb-cf04-4bb0-b143-3f259fa08f3e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-18fb1e39-53db-421b-a972-823ebf656c92","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9b56b62a-467f-4de0-aef7-9a4fab9ef0a8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.43421%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Kaka became a beloved figure among Milan fans.

[{"selector":"#anim-51b090fb-23d7-473b-86fc-f04627cb6838","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4f8b5343-a6a3-4af0-9ebe-f32832dda864","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-92330867-d667-45bb-a7d6-38271bb4a5e8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(110.96346%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

He displayed an unmatched mastery of the ball

[{"selector":"#anim-fd889012-477c-491a-9263-72a6050c73b2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8f1b837d-d45c-4583-a5a1-e9477a8c1568","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7a28f442-d19d-4f14-9c75-f81bc2f24359","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.94685%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Effortlessly dancing through defenses and leading the club to great heights

[{"selector":"#anim-9343a455-3d44-4d2f-8435-547855515c53","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8483bdd4-dc14-44dc-8f67-050757921223","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe42727f-6e9c-4e55-9c2c-933a999d4c26","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(109.30931%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Unfortunately, injuries marred his time at Real Madrid

[{"selector":"#anim-96e560f2-cbf4-4ad5-b73c-14c66adf686d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c93fab7d-f613-4e09-9cc8-fa30a7f97d31","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-73e59c2c-2604-436f-9b09-55c5f7f62d12","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(111.71171%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

But his mystique as a footballer remains undeniable.

[{"selector":"#anim-4f255461-0434-4568-9a6f-4630f1f11756","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f970f8f7-5a15-4548-aab8-e6b4c5e345c9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-50e2448f-9250-4ba8-97d9-cf00cc9760bf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(111.71171%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Undoubtedly, Kaka ranks among the most gifted footballers of the modern era

[{"selector":"#anim-cb337555-9628-448b-b026-bb47e3b17774","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-68273b20-600a-4da7-b074-9a906241bfd1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fde6cdb-20ec-4f48-848c-14ca082a80a6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(109.68750%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Leaving behind a trail of iconic moments throughout his career.

[{"selector":"#anim-e3da103e-90f1-4bcd-9db4-11900e6b8c01","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2e71302a-d8a9-4d4b-b83e-6c72d70f46a7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c4710d11-5149-4b33-a112-2dba129e1271","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.75000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Leaving behind a trail of iconic moments throughout his career.

[{"selector":"#anim-04fb471d-b83b-40bc-a61f-18137812823c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4ad7806-51e4-41be-b224-c2bb9ef46458","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5b7ca0f3-77eb-4815-850f-d4d63a207539","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.75000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]