Alexandre Pato

Player Information

Full name: Alexandre (Pato) Rodrigues da Silva
Date of birth: September 02, 1989
Birthplace: Pato Branco, Paraná, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
EU passport: No
Height: 179 cms
Weight: 71 kgs

Club: Milan
Position: Striker [C]
Squad Number: 7
Previous clubs: Internacional > (€14.5m) Milan

International debut: March 2008, v Sweden
International Caps: 1
International Goals: 1
World Cups: none

Awards

FIFA Club World Cup (2006)

Recopa Sudamericana (2007)

Biography

1989
Born September 2 in Pato Branco, Parana.
2001
At the age of 11, he moved to Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul and started sharing housing with 83 other teenagers that, much like him, wanted to make a name for themselves in the SC Internacional first team.
2006
November 26: Scored on his first team debut after 94 seconds with his first touch of the ball, set up two more - including one with a disconcerting dribble - and headed against the post in a hectic 57 minutes before being substituted with Internacional 4-0 ahead of Palmeiras.
December 13: Brazilian wonderkid Alexandre Pato produced a dazzling display as Internacional beat Al Ahly 2-1 to reach the Club World Cup final. Pato scored once and had a goal disallowed before being taken off injured in the second half.
December 17: Played 61 minutes in the final as Internacional overcame Barcelona to win the FIFA World Club Cup Japan 2006.
2007
January: Part of the Brazil side that won the South American Under-20 Championship. He was Brazil's leading scorer in the tournament with five goals.
July: Represented Brazil in the FIFA U-20 World Cup at Canada. He was part of the team that reached the round of 16 but was defeated by Spain 4-2 after extra time.
August 2: The long drawn race to sign Alexandre Pato come to an end with AC Milan finally signing the young Brazilian starlet. The Rossoneri paid his buy-out clause of 14.5 million euros, and have handed him a five year contract worth 2 million euros per season. However, Pato cannot feature in official games for the Rossoneri until January. Revealed the club: "The great talent Alexandre Pato will train with Milan and will be able to play the friendly matches starting from the 3rd of September 2007. From the 3rd of January 2008 onwards, he will also be able to play in the official games."
September 6: Scored one goal on his AC Milan debut, a 2-2 friendly draw organised to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Dinamo Kiev.
2008
January 13: Alexandre Pato scored on his long-awaited Serie A debut as Milan beat Napoli 5-2 in a thrilling match at the San Siro.
March 26: Little over ten minutes after taking the field as a second-half substitute, thus making his Brazilian National Team debut, Pato scored a 72nd-minute goal that consigned Sweden to a 1-0 defeat by Brazil in their friendly at the Arsenal Stadium in London.
August 22: Member of the Brazilian team that won the Bronze Medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.

David Beckham

Player Information
Full name: David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE
Date of birth: May 02, 1975
Birthplace: Leytonstone, England
Nationality: English
EU passport: Yes
Height: 180 cms
Weight: 74 kgs

Club: Milan
Position: Midfielder [R, C]
Squad Number: 0
Contract expires: June 2012 (on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy)
Previous clubs: Manchester United > Preston North End > Manchester United > (£25m) Real Madrid > Los Angeles Galaxy > Milan (loan)

International debut: September 1996, v Moldova
International Caps: 100
International Goals: 17
World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006

Awards

UEFA Champions League (1999)
Intercontinental Cup (1999)

English FA Premier League (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003)
English FA Cup (1996, 1999)
Spanish Super Cup (2003)
Spanish La Liga (2007)

English League Young Footballer of the Year (1997)
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1999)

Biography

1975
Born May 2 in Leytonstone, London.
1991
May: Signs for Manchester United as a trainee
1992
September: First team debut as a substitute in the Rumbelows Cup tie at Brighton and Hove Albion.
1994
Plays 5 matches on loan for Preston North End.
1995
April: Premier League debut at home to Leeds United.
1996
September 1: Made his England debut in a 3-0 away win over Moldova in a qualifier for the 1998 World Cup finals in Kishinev.
1997
May: Manchester United win another Premiership title and reach the semi final of the UCL. David is voted Young Player of the Year.
1998
June 26: Scored his first goal for England after 30 minutes of his 17th international, a trademark free kick against Colombia in the opening round of the World Cup in Lens, France.
June 30: In a second-round tie against Argentina in St Etienne, he was sent off two minutes into the second half for kicking Diego Simeone. He was largely vilified at home for his dismissal as it was seen as a contributory factor to England's loss on penalties after the match ended in a 2-2 draw. It was the first red card of David's career.
1999
March: Becomes a father to Brooklyn.
May: Manchester United completed the unprecedented Treble of Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup. Named UEFA MVP.
July: Marries Victoria Adams aka Posh Spice, a member of the Spice Girls.
2000
Another successful campaign as Manchester United wins again the Premiership, with David scoring 6 goals in 31 apps.
November: Peter Taylor gave him the greatest honour of his career in making him the captain of England, fulfilling his childhood dream.
2001
January: Sven-Goran Eriksson appointed him the permanent captain when he took over as England boss.
May: Manchester United won the Premiership title. He was given the English captain armband for the first time in a friendly in Italy.
October 6: At his home ground of Old Trafford, he scored one of the most famous goals of his career - a free kick deep into stoppage time that gave England a 2-2 draw against Greece and effectively sealed their place at the 2002 World Cup finals.
2002
June 2: He won his 50th cap in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup finals in Saitama but was replaced after 63 minutes of the 2-2 draw with Sweden.
June 7: In what he describes as one of the highlights of his England career, Beckham scored with a penalty to give England a 1-0 win over Argentina in the enclosed dome of Sapporo in their second group match. England would later be eliminated by Brazil.
2003
May: A stray boot, kicked in frustration by Sir Alex Ferguson, accidentally struck Becks on the forehead in the dressing room.
June: His era as a Man Utd player came to an end in the summer of 2003 when Florentino Perez took him to Real Madrid for 35 millions euros.
2004
June: Captains England at Euro 2004, where team loses in Quarter finals to host Portugal.
2005
October 8: Became the first England player to be sent off twice when he was dismissed against Austria in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory at Old Trafford.
2006
June 15: David Beckham was named Budweiser Man of the Match after England's 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.
June 25: Scored to give England a 1-0 win over Ecuador in their second round match in Stuttgart to become the first English player to score a goal in three World Cup finals tournaments.
July: One day after England was eliminated by Portugal in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, Beckham stepped down as the team captain after holding the role for six years.
August 11: David Beckham's England career appears to be at an end after new manager Steve McClaren left him out of his squad.
September 16: David Beckham says he has a "burning desire" to prove new England coach Steve McClaren wrong after being dropped from the national team.
October 17: Beckham has joined Raul and Roberto Carlos in an exclusive club of three after making his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League at Steaua Bucuresti.
2007
January 11: David Beckham is set to leave Real Madrid at the end of the Spanish season and sign a five-year deal for U.S. side Los Angeles Galaxy worth $1 million a week, the biggest in world sport.
January 13: Coach Fabio Capello says Beckham won't play for Real Madrid again. "He is not going to play any more. He will practice, but he is not going to play. The player's decision is to go to Los Angeles. He has always been a great professional, but a player who has such a major contract with another team ... we cannot count on him," he said.
February 10: Beckham, who had not been selected for Real Madrid's six previous matches, made a scoring return as his team came from behind to beat 2-1 Real Sociedad in the Primera Division.
June 1: Marked his first appearance for his country in 11 months, and first under Steve McClaren's reign, by setting up skipper John Terry's 68th minute opener with a trademark free-kick only for Diego to equalize in injury-time in the 1-1 friendly draw against Brazil.
June 17: Helped Real Madrid to end their four-year trophy drought when they won the league title for the 30th time after a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Real Mallorca at the Bernabeu.
July 21: Made his long-awaited debut for Los Angeles Galaxy in front of a capacity crowd when he came on as a substitute in the 78th minute of the exhibition match against Chelsea. The match ended with a 1-0 victory for the English team.
August 15: Started his first game for the Galaxy, scored his first goal on a free kick in the 27th minute and Los Angeles beat D.C. United 2-0 in the SuperLiga semifinals. Beckham also captained the LA team and notched his first assist on the Galaxy's second goal.
August 30: Beckham suffered a sprained right knee and will be sidelined for "approximately six weeks," ending his fist MLS season.
2008
March 26: Became only the fifth player (after Billy Wright, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton) to win 100 caps for England when he featured in the 0-1 defeat against France in Paris.
April 3: Scored his first goal in Major League Soccer, his eighth-minute strike helping the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. Beckham collected a pass from Donovan outside the penalty area and slipped the ball past goalkeeper Joe Cannon to open the scoring. Beckham returned the favor for Donovan in the 37th minute, flicking the ball with his right foot to his hard-charging teammate, who lofted a shot over a rapidly-closing Cannon to put the Galaxy up 2-0..
April 7: Named Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 2.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

David Beckham is one of the world’s most recognised sportsmen. Years of success on the field at Manchester United combined with a high-profile lifestyle off it had ensured him a rare level of wealth and celebrity even before he became part of Real Madrid’s galácticos project in 2003.
More than anything, however, Beckham is a dedicated professional, who takes immense pride from his role as England captain. His talent with a football was evident from an early age: as a boy he won a Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools National Skills competition and before long he had signed up for his favourite team, Manchester United.

Beckham was part of a remarkable United youth side containing fellow future England internationals Nicky Butt, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992. Although it was not until the 1995/96 season, when he was 20, that he established himself in the first team at Old Trafford, the wait was worthwhile.

That campaign ended with him collecting Premiership and FA Cup winner’s medals and Beckham began the following season by scoring a memorable goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon. He ended it with the award for English football’s Young Player of the Year and in between made his England debut in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier against Moldova.

Beckham had to wait until the 1998 finals in France to score his first international goal and fittingly it was a trademark free-kick in a 2-0 victory over Colombia. It is arguable that during the past decade nobody in world football has delivered better set-pieces than the Englishman, who is famed for his ability to provide perfect crosses from the right flank.

Unfortunately for Beckham, the 1998 FIFA World Cup ended in dismay as he was sent off for aiming a kick at Diego Simeone during England’s second-round loss to Argentina. That act of petulance made him a convenient scapegoat for the defeat, yet he won over his critics with his subsequent efforts in an England shirt.

After helping United complete a treble of Premiership, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League successes in 1999, Beckham received personal recognition as he finished second in both the FIFA World Player and European Footballer of the Year polls.

The next year he was named England captain for the first time for a friendly in Italy and he quickly grew into the role. Relishing the extra responsibility, Beckham sealed his country’s place in the 2002 FIFA World Cup with a spectacular late free-kick in their last qualifier against Greece and his excellent form in 2001 earned him second place in the FIFA World Player of the Year voting.

A foot injury meant Beckham faced a race against time to be fit for Korea/Japan but he eventually appeared in every match of England’s run to the quarter-finals in the Far East and enjoyed a moment to savour as his penalty brought a 1-0 victory over old rivals Argentina.

After collecting his sixth Premiership winner’s medal in 2003, Beckham said goodbye to English football for a new challenge at Real Madrid. However, he remains a fixture in the England team. He scored fine goals against Wales and Azerbaijan during Germany 2006 qualifying and completed 50 matches as national captain during last November’s friendly against Argentina.

Beckham will be 31 when the FIFA World Cup kicks off and will surpass the 90-cap mark during the tournament. But what he really wants is to end it by emulating another Londoner, Bobby Moore, and lifting world football’s greatest prize.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

Perhaps the most famous footballer in the world, David Beckham's main attributes are his long-range shooting ability - especially from free-kicks - accurate crossing from the right, and seemingly limitless reserves of energy.

National team
The summer after he made his debut against Moldova in September 1996, Beckham was vilified in England for his sending off in the FIFA World Cup match against Argentina. He featured at UEFA EURO 2000™ and was made captain in the build-up to the 2002 World Cup, scoring a brilliant added-time free-kick against Greece which earned England a place in Korea/Japan before exorcising his Argentina demons in Sapporo. Inspirational as England qualified for UEFA EURO 2004™, his reputation suffered as he missed penalties against France and Portugal in the finals. Returned to form in 2006 World Cup qualifying with excellent goals against Wales and Azerbaijan.

Club
A lifelong Manchester United FC fan despite being born in London, Beckham was part of United's much-vaunted 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning side. He established himself in the first team in the 1995/96 English double-winning season and a goal from the halfway line in the first game of the next campaign, at Wimbledon FC, marked his arrival. Beckham's efforts in the treble-winning team of 1998/99 that lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy won him second place in the FIFA World Player of the Year and European Player of the Year polls. His coruscating form in 2001 brought another second place in the FIFA poll and Beckham helped United to a sixth title during his time at the club in 2002/03, and scored twice in the Champions League loss to Real Madrid CF, the club he joined in the summer for €35m.

2003: Beckham quickly settled, relishing his new central role and winning over the fans with his range of passing and work ethic. Life was not quite so rosy in 2004, however, as Madrid failed to win a trophy.

2004/05: Started the season playing in the centre of midfield but by the end of the campaign, new coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo had switched Beckham to the right wing with pleasing results. His cannonball strike in the 5-0 defeat of UD Levante in November was a sight to behold.

Did you know?
David and Victoria Beckham have three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. David has all three boys' names tatooed on his body and also has Victoria's name imprinted on his arm in Hindi.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

Simply the most famous footballer in the world, David Beckham's main attributes are his long-range shooting ability - especially from free-kicks - pin-point accurate crossing from the right, and seemingly limitless reserves of energy.

National team
The summer after he made his debut against Moldova in September 1997, Beckham was vilified in England for his sending off in the FIFA World Cup match against Argentina. He also featured at UEFA EURO 2000™ but matured considerably after being made captain in the build-up to the 2002 World Cup, scoring a brilliant added-time free-kick against Greece which earned England a place at Korea/Japan before exorcising his Argentina demons in Sapporo.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Again inspirational as England qualified automatically ahead of Turkey from Group 7. Beckham appeared in seven of the eight qualifiers, sitting out only the home victory against Slovakia, and scored five goals, including one penalty.

Club
A lifelong Manchester United FC fan despite being born in London, Beckham was part of United's much-vaunted 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning side. He established himself in the first team in the 1995/96 English double-winning season and a goal from the halfway line in the first game of the next campaign, at Wimbledon FC, marked his arrival as a star. Beckham's efforts in the treble-winning team of 1998/99 that lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy won him second place behind Rivaldo in the voting for FIFA World Player of the Year and European Player of the Year. And his coruscating form in 2001 brought another second place in the FIFA poll, behind Luis Figo.

2002: Beckham helped United to a sixth title during his time at the club. He also scored twice in the Champions League loss to Real Madrid CF, the club he was to join in the summer for €35m.

2003/4: Beckham quickly settled, relishing his new central role and winning over the fans with his range of passing and work ethic. Life was not quite so rosy in 2004 as Madrid failed to win a trophy.

Did you know?
David and Victoria Beckham have two sons, Brooklyn and Romeo. David has Brooklyn's name tattooed on his lower back and Romeo's across his shoulders. He also has Victoria's name imprinted on his arm in Hindi.

©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved.

Ronaldinho

Player Information

Full name: Ronaldo Assis de Moreira (Ronaldinho)
Date of birth: March 21, 1980
Birthplace: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
2nd nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 180 cms
Weight: 76 kgs

Club: Milan
Position: Attacking Midfielder/Forward [L, C]
Squad Number: 80
Contract expires: June 2011
Previous clubs: Grêmio > Paris St-Germain > (€30m) Barcelona > Milan

International debut: June 1999, v Latvia
International Caps: 62
International Goals: 27
World Cups: Korea/Japan 2002 (1st), Germany 2006

Awards

FIFA U-17 World Cup (1997)
Copa América (1999)
FIFA World Cup (2002)
FIFA Confederations Cup (2005)

UEFA Champions League (2006)

Spanish La Liga (2005, 2006)
Spanish Super Cup (2005, 2006)

FIFA Confederations Cup Top Scorer (1999)
Spanish La Liga Player of the Season (2004, 2006)
World Soccer Player of the World (2004, 2005)
FIFA World Player of the Year (2004, 2005)
UEFA Champions League Best Forward (2005)
FIFPro World Player of the Year (2005, 2006)
European Footballer of the Year (2005)
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (2006)

Biography

1980
Born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on March 21. Full name Ronaldo Assis de Moreira. His brother Roberto is a former Brazilian international.
1997
Top scorer when Brazil win under-17 world championship in Egypt.
1998
Makes his debut at professional level with his local team Gremio, playing five games.
1999
April: Member of the Brazilian team that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship quarterfinals in Nigeria.
June-July: Plays first game for Brazil senior squad against Latvia. Wins Copa America with Brazil, scoring his first international goal against Venezuela.
August: Top scorer in the Confederations Cup with six goals, Brazil loses final against Mexico.
2001
Signs for Paris St Germain on a five-year contract. Moves to Paris in March but starts playing only at the beginning of the 2001-2002 season after a legal battle between PSG and Gremio over the transfer fee. Gremio receive only $4.5 million.
2002
June: Wins World Cup with Brazil, scores with a spectacular 35-metre lob against England in the quarter-finals.
August: Resumes playing with PSG late after recovering from the World Cup. His relationship with coach Luis Fernandez deteriorates.
2003
Makes it clear he hopes to leave PSG after they fail to qualify for European competition. His brother and now agent Roberto Assis starts negotiations with Manchester United but Barcelona make an offer for the Brazilian.
July: Ronaldinho signs a five-year contract with Barcelona for a reported fee of 25 million euros ($29.4 million).
September: Scores his first league goal for Barcelona in the 1-1 draw against Sevilla, completing a meandering run from inside his own half with a stunning 25-metre shot.
October: Scores a hat-trick as Barcelona crush Slovak side Puchov 8-0 in the UEFA Cup.
Ends his first season with Barca with 14 league goals, inspiring the team to a 17-game unbeaten run that lifts them to a second-place finish.
2004
November: Inspires Barcelona to a 3-0 win over arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Nou Camp.
December: Named FIFA World Player of the Year ahead of Thierry Henry and Andriy Shevchenko. Comes third behind Shevchenko and team mate Deco in the vote for European Footballer of the Year.
2005
May: Wins title with Barcelona, the Catalan club's first trophy in six years.
June: Captains Brazil's Confederations Cup-winning side. Scores in the 4-1 victory over Argentina in the final.
August: Agrees to renew his contract with Barcelona until 2010.
September: Wins the inaugural FIFPro World Player of the Year award after a poll of players in 40 countries.
November 19: Steers Barcelona to a 3-0 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, scoring two virtuoso solo goals - the second of which earned a standing ovation from fans of the Madrid club.
November: Becomes the third Brazilian to win the Ballon d'Or (European footballer of the year) after his compatriots Ronaldo, who won it in 1997 and 2002, and Rivaldo, who won it in 1999.
December: Named Fifa's World Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
2006
May: Helps FC Barcelona to win its second straight Spanish league title and 18th overall.. Helps the team to win the UEFA Champions League.
August 20: Helped FC Barcelona to won their first trophy of the new season as they defeated Espanyol 3-0 in the second leg of the Super Cup in Camp Nou.
August 24: Declared UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in Monaco.
October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
November 6: Ronaldinho wins the FIFPro Player of the Year award for the second successive season.
November 27: Ronaldinho collected 73 points to finish fourth in the European Footballer of the Year award.
December 14: Inspired by the brillian Ronaldinho, European champions Barcelona have moved into the Club World Cup final with a classy 4-0 win over Mexico's Club America.
December 17: Played in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2006 as Barcelona is defeated by Brazil's Internacional with a late-goal in Yokohama.
2007
August 27: Granted dual nationality by Spain.
October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
2008
July 17: Greeted by 40,000 cheering AC Milan supporters after signing a three-year contract with the seven-time European champions.
August 22: Member of the Brazilian team that won the Bronze Medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.
September 28: Ronaldinho picked the perfect day to claim his first Serie A goal as his header gave AC Milan a 1-0 victory against FC Internazionale Milano.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Despite being blessed with breathtaking skill and almost supernatural ball control, the endearingly-modest Ronaldinho Gaucho still blushes when he is mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Zico or Pele. He may not pursue the kind of legendary status afforded to Brazilian greats Garrincha, Didi or Vava, but with each passing game the feeling grows that Ronaldinho could become one of the finest players the world has ever seen.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, better known as Ronaldinho, was born on 21 March 1980 in the Restinga district of Porto Alegre, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. At the age of seven, older brother Roberto Assis, a professional at local side Gremio Porto Alegre, took the talented youngster to join his club’s youth set-up. The Barcelona star has never forgotten his sibling’s help in getting him where he is today. “My biggest hero is my brother. He’s a shining example as a father, a brother and a footballer.”

Eight years on, Ronaldinho received his first call-up for the Brazilian national team’s junior side, and two years later he was a member of the team that won the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt.

The Brazilian maestro turned professional in 1998, celebrating his first contract by helping Gremio to a 1-0 win over Rio de Janeiro side Vasco de Gama.

It would be another year before ‘Ronnie’ caught the eye of the world’s footballing elite. In 1999, having top-scored in his side’s State Championship win, Ronaldinho made his official debut for the Seleção in a friendly against Latvia. During that year’s Copa America, the fleet-footed forward gave a tantalising glimpse of what was to come with a wonder goal in Brazil’s 7-0 rout of Venezuela.

Namesake Ronaldo
It was around that time, as Ronaldinho’s career began to take off, that he was christened with the surname Gaucho, used to describe people from the Rio Grande do Sul region, in order to avoid confusion with the other Ronaldo, still known by many Brazilians as Ronaldinho. Nowadays, the pair’s fame has reached such levels that such a distinction is no longer necessary.

In 2001, the rising star moved from Gremio to French side Paris Saint-Germain, though not without a protracted transfer wrangle between the parties involved. The move was completed in time for Ronaldinho to seal a place in the Auriverde squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, where he played a vital role in Brazil’s success.

In the aftermath of his country’s record fifth FIFA World Cup win, Ronaldinho returned to PSG, although not for very long. Despite speculation linking him with both Manchester United and Real Madrid, he ended up at Catalan giants Barcelona, who forked out a club-record €30m for his signature.

The FIFA World Cup winner arrived at Barça in time for the 2003/04 campaign when, after a rocky start to the season, a Ronaldinho-inspired revival saw Barcelona clinch second place behind Valencia. In 2005, the attacker reaffirmed his hero status in the eyes of the Azulgrana supporters with nine league goals and umpteen assists in his side’s 17th Primera Liga title win, their first since 1998/99.

Currently one of the most famous faces in world football, Ronaldinho has amassed an admirable collection of individual awards in a relatively short space of time. In 2005 he was presented with France Football magazine’s Golden Ball, awarded to the European Player of the Year, before crowning an amazing 12 months with his second consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Technically brilliant and a wonderful dribbler, Ronaldinho is an automatic choice in Carlos Alberto Parreira’s Brazil side at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Despite all his success, Ronaldinho admits: “I used to be always thinking about bizarre things, I was a real dreamer. During the World Cup in 1994, I watched Romario smile and thought: ‘I want to look like that.’ Later on, when Ronaldo was voted the best player in the world, I wanted to be just like him…” The charismatic Brazilian’s words are proof of one thing: Dreams do sometimes come true.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

One of the world's most dangerous and exciting players, Ronaldinho is equally proficient at creating chances or finishing, can play anywhere up front and is deadly from free-kicks.

National team
Brilliant at the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1997 and top scorer in the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, the Brazilian helped his country squeeze narrowly into the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals. In Korea/Japan he was exceptional, scoring against China and the quarter-final winner against England to help his country to a record fifth World Cup triumph. Although he sat out the 2004 Copa América, he is a vital component in their 2006 World Cup campaign, and scored in the 2005 Confederations Cup final as Brazil defeated Argentina 4-1.

Club
Beginning his career with Grêmio Football Porto Alegrense in his homeland, the buck-toothed playmaker appeared in 36 league games over four years, scoring 13 times before making a controversial transfer to French side Paris Saint-Germain FC in 2001.

2002: Although his time in Paris was not successful in terms of trophies, Ronaldinho was the outstanding player in an average PSG team, scoring 17 times in more than 50 league games over two seasons in the French capital.

2003: Ronaldinho became FC Barcelona's record signing in July when he agreed a €30m move after a protracted transfer saga. The Catalan club's hefty investment was amply rewarded, however, as the Brazilian scored 22 times in his first season to help Barça to second place in the Primera Divisón. He signed an improved contract in summer 2004, increasing his buy-out clause to a reported €150m.

2004/05: He was voted FIFA Player of the Year and delighted spectators in the UEFA Champions League: his jaw-dropping, last-gasp winner against AC Milan in the group stage was only surpassed by a seemingly impossible strike in the return leg against Chelsea FC on 8 March but Barça lost the tie 5-4 on aggregate. Consolation came in the form of the Spanish title.

Did you know?
While filming a television commercial in March 2004, Ronaldinho broke a window in the 12th century cathedral Santiago de Compostela.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

Kaka

Player Information

Full name: Ricardo (Kaká) Izecson dos Santos Leite
Date of birth: April 22, 1982
Birthplace: Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
2nd nationality: Italian
EU passport: Yes
Height: 183 cms
Weight: 73 kgs

Club: Milan
Position: Attacking Midfielder/Forward [R, C]
Squad Number: 22
Contract expires: June 2013
Previous clubs: São Paulo > (€8.5m) Milan

International debut: January 2002, v Bolivia
International Caps: 37
International Goals: 12
World Cups: Korea/Japan 2002 (1st), Germany 2006

Awards

FIFA World Cup (2002)
FIFA Confederations Cup (2005)

UEFA Super Cup (2003, 2007)
UEFA Champions League (2007)
FIFA Club World Cup (2007)

Italian Serie A (2004)
Italian Super Cup (2004)

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Player of the Year (2002)
Italian Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year (2004, 2006)
UEFA Champions League Best Midfielder (2005)
UEFA Champions League Top Scorer (2007)
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (2007)
European Footballer of the Year (2007)
World Soccer Player of the Year (2007)
FIFA Club World Cup Best Player (2007)
FIFA World Player of the Year (2007)
Italian Serie A Footballer of the Year (2007)

Biography

1982
Born April 22 in Brasilia to Simone Cristina dos Santos Leite and Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite. His background is relatively privileged, born into upper-middle class in Brasilia, raised in Sao Paulo.
2000
September: He suffered a career-threatening and possibly paralysis-inducing spine fracture at the age of 18 as a result of a swimming pool accident, but remarkably made a full recovery. He attributes his recovery to God and since tithed his income to his church.
2001
March 7: Made his comeback on the pitch, when he came in as a reserve-substitute in the Torneio Rio-São Paulo final match between São Paulo and Botafogo and scored two goals, among them the match-winner, in less than five minutes.
July: Member of the Brazilian team that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship quarterfinals in Argentina.
August 8: Scored on his Brasilerao debut, a 1-2 Sao Paulo defeat at Vitoria.
2002
January: Kaka made his debut for the Brazil national football team against Bolivia.
June: Part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, but played only 19 minutes, all of which were in the first round match against Costa Rica. During the final against Germany, coach Luis 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 to enter the pitch.
December: Collected 27 votes to finish fifth in the El Pais' South American Player of the Year award.
2003
June: AC Milan brought him aboard for $8.5 million, a fee described in hindsight as "peanuts" by club owner Silvio Berlusconi.
July: Kaka was the captain for the Gold Cup tournament, where Brazil finished as runner-up, as did Kaka with a second-best three goals. He was also named as one of the competition's top eleven players by position.
September 1: Made his Serie A debut in a 2-0 Milan win at A.C. Ancona.
2004
November: Appointed as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations' World Food Programme, the youngest to do so at the time of his appointment.
2005
May: Despite Milan losing the 2004-05 Champions League final to Liverpool F.C. on penalties, he was nonetheless voted the best midfielder of the tournament, and also finished ninth, with 19 votes, in the running for the 2005 Ballon D'Or.
June 29: Scored in a 4-1 defeat of Argentina in the 2005 Confederations Cup final, with a powerful shot into the upper right-hand corner of the net.
2006
April 9: Scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo Verona. All three goals were scored in the second half.
April: Member of the AC Milan team that reached the UEFA Champions League semifinals, losing against FC Barcelona.
June 13: Brazil midfielder Kaka edged out several other worthy candidates for the Budweiser Man of the Match honours as the world champions opened their Germany 2006 campaign with a 1-0 win over Croatia.
August 14: Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon admitted that Kaka will not now arrive at the club this season.
August 23: Real Madrid and AC Milan officials meet on Milan to discuss a probable swap between Ronaldo and Kaka.
September 27: Kaka criticised coach Carlo Ancelotti's tactics in the 0-0 draw at Lille in the UEFA Champions League. "I prefer playing with the formation with two forwards. In the game against Lille, I was obliged to keep the ball a lot - and then some people will say I am selfish. With only one forward, when I'm marked, I must try always a personal shot. With two forwards, it's easier passing the ball to one of them. At this time, we were not able to score - even if we created a lot of opportunities," he said.
October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
November 1: Kaka had a night to remember after scoring his first UEFA Champions League hat-trick in Milan's 4-1 victory against Anderlecht.
November 6: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
2007
February 12: Kaka received his Italian passport.
May 12: Citing an exhaustive schedule of Serie A, Champions League and national team play, Kaka openly bowed out of the 2007 Copa América, which was won by Brazil. "I haven't had a break for three seasons. I won't have the form to achieve what is expected of me at an international level."
May 23: Won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan after a 2-1 victory over Liverpool FC at the OACA Spyro Louis in Athens, Greece.
May 25: Named the Vodafone Fans' UUEFA Champions League Player of the Season after nearly 100,000 uefa.com users voted in the competition.
August 30: Kaka collected the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and UEFA Club Forward of the Year prizes.
August 31: Member of the AC Milan squad that came from behind to defeat Sevilla FC 3-1 in Monaco and claim the UEFA Super Cup for a record fifth time on a night which served as a fitting tribute to the memory of Antonio Puerta.
October 5: Kaka lifted the FIFPro's World Player of the Year title.
December 2: Voted the European Footballer of the Year, collecting the Ballon d'Or live on French television. Kaka told free-to-air channel TV TF1: "This award crowns an outstanding year for me. I thank God for this prize, which is the biggest any player can win, and also my wife and my parents. But to get a trophy like this, you also need to have a winning team around you, that's essential - so I'm grateful to Milan and to Brazil."
December 13: Named as World Player of the Year by the prestigious British magazine World Soccer. Kaka gained 52.8 per cent of the votes, making him only the second player in the 26-year history of the award to receive more than half those cast. The only other player to do so was Michel Platini in 1984.
December 16: Orchestrated Milan's FIFA Club World Cup victory, scoring his side's third goal as well as setting up two for Filippo Inzaghi as the rossoneri became the first European side to win the revamped tournament after they defeated Argentinian side Boca Juniors 4-2 in Yokohama, Japan.
December 17: Completed a virtual sweep of annual awards by winning FIFA's World Player of the Year. Kaka received 1,047 points, ahead of Messi with 504 and Cristiano Ronaldo with 426 in a vote by national team captains and managers.
2008
January 28: Voted Player of the Year for 2007 by his fellow professionals at Italy&39;s Oscar del Calcio.
February 28: Extended his contract with AC Milan, committing to the red devils until 2013.
April 20: Scored a hat-trick in the AC Milan's Serie A 5-1 win against Reggina Calcio.
October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Kaka is a focused and aggressive attacking midfielder, with good ball skills and stamina, who can move into a striking role when required.
Kaka moved from Sao Paulo to AC Milan in 2003 after collecting the award for best player in the 2002 Brazilian championship and subsequently won the Serie A title in his first season in Italy.

He played in Brazil’s 2002 FIFA World Cup™ finals campaign, albeit not the Final, and scored five goals in their qualifiers for Germany 2006.

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UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

A tireless worker who is blessed with creativity, good passing skills and a fine shot, attacking midfield player Ricardo Izecson Santos Leite 'Kaká' moved to Italy in the summer of 2003 vowing to "combine Brazilian fantasy with the tactical discipline of European football".

National team
After representing Brazil at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, he enjoyed a memorable breakthrough year in 2002, making his international debut against Bolivia before playing for his country at the FIFA World Cup. Since then he starred in the Brazilian Under-23 side that lost the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup final to Mexico and appeared regularly in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. He was not selected for the 2004 Copa América but played the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany.

Club
Born in Brasilia in 1982, Kaká is a product of São Paulo FC, for whom he played socred 22 goals in 56 league games over three seasons. Completed an €8.5m move to European champions Milan in June 2003, after months of speculation. He signed a four-year contract.

2003: Excelled in his first season in Serie A, quickly establishing himself as regular and scoring ten times as Milan secured their 17th Scudetto. He was also an ever-present in their UEFA Champions League campaign.

2004/05: Missed only two league games, scoring seven goals as Milan finished runners-up to Juventus FC and played every Champions League match, scoring twice against FC Shakhtar Donetsk. In the final, his wonderful pass set up Hernán Crespo for his second goal and Milan's third, only for Liverpool FC to mount a stunning comeback and take the match to penalties despite Kaká converting his kick.

Did you know?
With his first touch of the game, Kaká scored Brazil's winning goal in their opening 2006 World Cup qualifier against Colombia.

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