He won football’s greatest prize – the Ballon d’Or – in 2007 and transferred to Real Madrid for more than £50 million, but superstar midfielder Kaka says all of his success is down to one thing – his faith in Christ
AC Milan’s Kaka belongs to Jesus – and he isn’t afraid of telling the world. The Brazilian is a committed Christian, regularly telling his millions of fans about his faith as he dazzles crowds with his silky skills and fantastic flair.
Voted by his fellow professionals as the world’s best player in 2007, Kaka remained typically humble – and that was after becoming Real Madrid’s second most expensive signing in their history when he joined from AC Milan.
He said: “The Bible says God can give you more than you even ask for and that is what has happened in my life.”
And after winning Fifa’s World Player of the Year that same season, Kaka shocked the world by donating the prestigious trophy to his home church in Brazil.
The gold-plated masterpiece is now on display in the entrance of a São Paulo branch of the Apostolic Reborn in Christ Church, of which Kaka is a devoted member.
“I deliver this up joyfully to God, because he is the reason behind every victory,” reads the inscription on the trophy, penned by the player who celebrates victories by gesturing to the heavens and famously revealing an undershirt with the slogan: ‘I belong to Jesus.’
Kaka is adored in Brazil. He has won the respect of anxious parents in his home nation, advocating and practising sexual abstinence before marriage. In a rare stance for a professional footballer, he announced he was a virgin when he married childhood sweetheart Caroline Celico in 2005.
Born to a middle-class family, Kaka started to take Christianity seriously when he was 12. “I learnt that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not. We can only win by being on Jesus’ side,” he said.
His commitment to God was strengthened in October 2000 when he slipped on a swimming pool slide and broke a vertebrae.
He said: “The doctors said that I was lucky to be able to walk normally. They were talking about luck, and my family was talking about God. We knew that it was his hand that had saved me.”
Kaka celebrates his 100th goal for AC Milan
In terms of declaring his faith, Kaka has been there, done it and bought the t-shirt.
He wore his ‘I belong to Jesus’ vest when Milan won Serie A in 2004 and the Champions League in 2007, and has ‘God is faithful’ stitched on the tongues of his boots.
On numerous occasions Kaka has been linked with a move to England, and it was reported in 2009 that Manchester City made a £100million offer to entice him to the Premier League.
But in true Kaka style, he turned to prayer and believed God told him to stay at Madrid. He said: “I listened to everything the club had to say and it was flattering to know how badly they wanted me and what they valued me at.
“There was much talk of the wages on offer but to me that is not a big deal. They are now a very rich club and are quite rightly going to pay their players top wages.
“I asked God for a sign and he made it clear that it was not the right time for me to leave. I don’t regret not having signed for City.”
Having starred at Madrid for four seasons, he moved back to Milan and is nearing 100 caps for Brazil. But whatever Kaka might achieve in football, his faith in Christ will always be his number one goal.
