São Paulo
After leading the youth team to cup success, Kaká made his debut for the São Paulo first team at 19. He went on to score 22 goals in 49 appearances for the club and in December 2002 he picked up the Bola de Ouro, the Brazilian award for domestic footballer of the year
Milan
He was signed by Carlo Ancelotti for €8.5m in June 2003. In six years at San Siro he won Serie A, the Champions League and the Club World Cup, and in 2007 was named Fifpro World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year and Fifa World Player of the Year
Real Madrid
Before Real signed Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká was briefly the world's most expensive footballer when they paid £56m for him this summer. Over 50,000 fans turned up at the Bernabéu on 30 June to see the unveiling of a man committed to a six-year contract worth a reported £200,000 a week
Brazil
Luiz Felipe Scolari gave him his debut for the national side in January 2002 and he has since gone on to earn 73 caps, scoring 26 goals. He was part of the 2002 World Cup winning squad but played only 19 minutes in the tournament. He was inducted into Brazil's Hall of Fame in October 2008
Personal
He fractured his spine in a swimming pool accident at the age of 18. His career could have been over but he puts his recovery down to his faith in God. His nickname Kaká comes from his little brother's inability to pronounce Ricardo when they were younger