Cícero João de Cézare, nicknamed Cicinho (Portuguese pronunciation: [siˈsĩɲu]; born June 24, 1980 in Pradópolis, São Paulo, Brazil), is a Brazilian footballer who plays as right-back for Roma. In 2005 he won the Confederations Cup with the Brazilian National Team. He was one of 23 players called in to the Brazilian squad for World Cup 2006. Club career In 2005, he won the Club World Cup, playing for São Paulo. After that, he joined Real Madrid for €4m[1]. In the 2006-07 season, Cicinho suffered an extensive injury to his ACL and sat out for over six months. His comeback to not only the pitch, but also starting eleven, was marked on Sunday, April 29 2007 against Athletic Bilbao where he assisted Ruud van Nistelrooy's first goal with a cross, and played a part in Ruud's second goal as well. Real Madrid went on to win the game 4-1. In the 2007-08 pre-season, the full-back was pushed down the pecking order at former club Real Madrid under new coach Bernd Schuster. Michel Salgado and Sergio Ramos have been used on the right during most of Real's pre-season to date, and Cicinho realized he could be due for a season bench-warming at the Bernabeu. He therefore requested to the club hierarchy to move to the Italian capital club who had been following him for some time. However, with the financial power of Liverpool, Chelsea and Sevilla, all interested in the wingback, a move to Roma seemed to become increasingly unlikely. Sevilla and Chelsea, in addition, also counted on the fact they could offer players that would attract the attention of the Real coach Bernd Schuster, offering wingback Dani Alves and Arjen Robben respectively in exchange for Cicinho and a cash sum to attract Real's attention. However Cicinho was reported to have been adamant about moving to Rome and allegedly told Real that he would either move to Roma or would stay at Real Madrid. After a deal of 8 million euros had been agreed between Roma and Real Madrid, the latter changed their mind about selling the player at the last minute, claiming Cicinho would be featuring in the club's plans after all. On August 22, 2007, Cicinho signed for Roma for a fee up to €11 million. Cicinho signed a 5 year contract with the capital club worth up to €4 million a year including bonuses. [2][3][4] He made his official debut in a Roma jersey on the first matchday of Serie A against Palermo, coming on to substitute Ludovic Giuly in the second half. Roma ran out as 2-0 winners.

Diego Ribas da Cunha (born 28 February 1985) commonly known as just Diego, is an international Brazilian footballer who plays for Italian Serie A club Juventus and is also member of the Brazilian national team. Club career Santos Diego was first signed by the São Paulo team Santos at the age of 12. Diego developed in the Santos youth system, making his first team debut at the age of 16 in the Rio-São Paulo Championship in 2002 and in the same year he won the domestic Campeonato Brasileiro championship. He, Robinho, Elano and Alex were known as a famous group when they played for Santos. Porto Diego was then signed by Portuguese club FC Porto in July 2004 as a replacement for the FC Barcelona-bound Deco. However, in 2005–06, Diego did not maintain a stable place in the Porto team under coach Co Adriaanse and he subsequently left Porto for Werder Bremen. Werder Bremen 2006–07 season In May 2006, Diego signed a contract with Werder Bremen until 2010 for a transfer fee of €6 million.[2] His first match for Werder Bremen came in the DFB-Ligapokal (League Cup). Werder Bremen won the cup beating Bayern Munich in the final on 5 August. The 2006–07 Bundesliga season began well for Diego. He scored the first goal and set up two more for Bremen in their 4-2 win over Hannover 96, on 13 August. In his second match in the Bundesliga he set up both goals in the 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. Thanks to his good performances in August, both in the Bundesliga and in the Premiere Ligapokal, Diego won the August Player of the Month award.[3] As the Bundesliga season went on, Diego made several amazing performances and became one of the most valuable players for Werder Bremen, along with his team-mate Torsten Frings. They are called the "two motors of Bremen's midfield." In October 2006, he won a second Player of the Month award and again in December 2006. He was then named as the Best Player of the first half of the Bundesliga. Werder Bremen finished in third place in Group A in the Champions League group stages, and they moved to the UEFA Cup, where they reached the semi-finals, beating AZ from the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, due in part to Diego's creative play. On 15 April, Diego again played well, scoring in the 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund. Five days later, on 20 April, Bremen played against Alemannia Aachen. Although Diego's performance was good, he did not score until stoppage time when he scored from 62.5 metres, which later was elected as goal of the year. Bremen won the game 3-1 and topped the table with 60 points. Following his good performances in the first half of the Bundesliga, Diego got called up to the Brazilian national football team in November. After the 2006–07 season ended, Diego won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award organised by popular magazine Kicker.[4] He got just over 50 percent of the votes. Unfortunately, his team did not win the Bundesliga after finishing 3rd in the table, behind champions VfB Stuttgart and Schalke 04. 2007–08 season Diego started his season well, scoring a penalty on the first matchday. Diego gave many outstanding performances. He was crucial as Bremen got through to the Champions League's group phase. They beat Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb 3-2 in Zagreb, with Diego scoring two penalties. On the first Champions League Group Stage matchday, Bremen lost 2-1 to Real Madrid, but Diego's performance aroused interest in Real Madrid's coach Bernd Schuster. But the stories were put to an end when Diego signed a new contract which would last until 2011.[5] After the loss to Real Madrid, Bremen faced VfB Stuttgart, the defending German champions, at home. Werder won 4-1, with Diego leading the midfield. Later on in the season, Bremen achieved a historical 8-1 win over Arminia Bielefeld, with Diego assisting three goals and scoring one himself. Diego was voted Player of the Month in September.[6] He then scored two goals on the way to the UEFA Cup quarter final with Bremen. 2008-09 season Diego's last season in Werder Bremen was his most successful. Diego scored 20 goals in total (more than his two first seasons in the club), while although Bremen did finish just 10th in the bundesliga and was knocked out into uefa cup from the Champions League group stage, Diego has kept on a great performance throughout the season. In Uefa Cup competition that season, Diego scored 6 goals, all in knockout stages (since Bremen dropped out from the Uefa Champions League into Uefa Cup's round of 32). He scored against AC Milan the in round of 32, equalizing after 84' minutes, and assisting Claudio Pizarro in the second leg to one goal. He helped his team through the round of 16, And in the quarter final against Udinese, he brilliantly scored four goals out of six in the two meetings, and assisting one. In the semi finals, after losing 1-0 in their hometown to Hamburg, Diego helped his team back in the second leg with an early equalizer to Ivica Olic's early critical goal. Later on that game, he assisted a corner to Frank Baumann's 3rd Bremen goal. In that game, Diego received an unfortunate yellow card, preventing him from playing in the final, but still with a 3-2 heroic away win, he ended his Uefa Cup participation, leading Bremen to their first Uefa Cup final ever. Without Diego in the 2009 Uefa Cup final, Bremen lost the game 2-1 in extra time to Ukranian team Shakhtar Donetsk. In his last match with Bremen, Diego gave the assist to Mesut Özil's victory goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup final, to win the German Cup for the sixth time. Juventus On 26 May 2009, Diego signed a five-year contract to join Juventus at the end of the season. The fee paid to Bremen by Juventus is worth €24.5 million. The price can rise by a further €2.5 million in case of the fulfillment of established sports objectives in the next five years.[7] Diego made his Juventus debut against the Korean side Seongnam where they won 3-0. In the first half Diego made the pass to Camoranesi whose pass followed up to a goal. Diego then scored in the second half and then subbed out at the 60th minute.[8] On his Serie A debut he assisted Iaquinta's goal from a set-piece.[9] In the second fixture of the campaign, Diego recorded his first Serie A goal, scoring twice in Juventus' 3-1 victory against Roma on August 30, 2009.[10] International career Diego with the Brazilian national team. Diego made his international debut in April 2003 in a friendly match against Mexico. He was later included in Brazil U-23 team that competed in 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup alongside Santos' teammate Robinho. Although Brazil compete as an under-23 team, the international appearances and goals were recorded as FIFA acknowledge the tournament as senior-team matches. He appeared five times and scored two goals as Brazil U-23 lost out to Mexico senior-team in the final. In 2004, Diego was called up for the Brazil national squad for the Copa América 2004, and he was instrumental in securing the tournament victory for Brazil when he scored in the penalty shootout against Argentina in the final. However, due to his decline in performance with FC Porto between 2004 and 2006, he was often left out of the Brazil squad. He was also left out of the Brazil squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. After a move to Werder Bremen, he regained his form and subsequently recalled to the Brazil squad for a in November 2006. He was then included in Brazil's squad for Copa América 2007, which Brazil went on to win, once again defeating Argentina in the final. Diego also participated with Brazil U-23 team for 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Brazil went on to achieve Bronze medal with a third place finish in the tournament.

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre), commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho,[2] is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Italian Serie A side Milan and the Brazil national team. He is widely regarded as one of the most gifted footballers of his generation. Ronaldinho, Portuguese for "Little Ronaldo," is known in Brazil by the nickname "Gaúcho," in order to distinguish him from Ronaldo, who was already called "Ronaldinho" in Brazil. Ronaldo simply went by his first name upon his move to Europe, thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop the "Gaúcho" and remain simply as Ronaldinho. Prior to his move to Milan, he played for Paris Saint-Germain, and FC Barcelona, with whom he won his first Champions League in 2006. He became a Spanish citizen in January 2007.[3] Biography and personal life Ronaldinho was born in the city of Porto Alegre, capital of the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil. His mother, Dona Miguelina, is a former salesperson who studied to become a nurse. His father, João, was a shipyard worker and footballer for local club Esporte Clube Cruzeiro (not to be confused with Cruzeiro EC).[4] He suffered a fatal heart attack in the family swimming pool when Ronaldinho was eight. After Ronaldinho's older brother, Roberto, signed with Grêmio, the family moved to a home in the more affluent Guarujá section of Porto Alegre, which was a gift from Grêmio to convince Roberto to stay at the club. Roberto's career was ultimately cut short by injury. Ronaldinho's football skills began to blossom at an early age, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinho because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches.[5] He developed an interest in futsal and beach football, which later expanded to organized football. His first brush with the media came at the age of thirteen, when he scored all 23 goals in a 23-0 victory against a local team.[6] Ronaldinho was identified as a rising star at the 1997 U-17 World Championship in Egypt, in which he scored two goals on penalty kicks.[7][8] Today, Roberto acts as Ronaldinho's manager, while his sister Deisi works as his press coordinator.[5][9] Ronaldinho became a father for the first time on 25 February 2005, after Brazilian dancer Janaína Mendes gave birth to their son, who was named João after Ronaldinho's late father. [10] Club career Early career Ronaldinho's career began with the Grêmio youth squad under head coach Liam Higgins. He made his senior side debut during the 1998 Copa Libertadores.[11] In 2001, Arsenal expressed interest in signing Ronaldinho, but the move collapsed after he could not obtain a work permit because he was a non-EU player who had not played enough international matches.[12] He considered playing on loan with Scottish Premier League side St. Mirren, which never happened due to his involvement in a fake passport scandal in Brazil.[13] In 2001, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with French side Paris Saint-Germain in a €5.1 million transfer.[14] During the 2001-02 season, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Fernández claimed that Ronaldinho was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil never ended at the scheduled times.[11] In 2003, less than two years into his PSG stint, Ronaldinho made it clear he wanted to leave the club after PSG failed to qualify for any European competition. Barcelona Originally, FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta had promised to bring David Beckham to the club, but following his transfer to Real Madrid, Barcelona entered the running for Ronaldinho and outbid Manchester United for his signature in a €32,250,000 transfer.[15] He made his team debut in a friendly against Milan at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C, scoring one goal in a 2-0 victory. After suffering from injury during the first half of the campaign, he returned and helped lead Barcelona to a second-place league finish. Ronaldinho won his first league title in 2004-05, and was named FIFA World Player of the Year on 20 December 2004. In 2005, Ronaldinho received his second consecutive honour of FIFA World Player of the Year, beating Chelsea's Frank Lampard and fellow Barça player Samuel Eto'o. On 8 March 2005, Barcelona was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Chelsea in the first knockout round, with Ronaldinho scoring both goals in a 4-2 loss.[16] With his contract expiring in 2008, Ronaldinho was offered an extension until 2014 that would have net him £85 million over nine years,[17] but he turned it down. In September 2005, he signed a two-year extension that contained a minimum-fee release clause that allowed him to leave should a club make an offer to Barcelona of at least £85 million for him.[18] Ronaldinho with Frank Rijkaard at NASA's Johnson Space Center. By the end of the 2004-05 season, Ronaldinho had started to accumulate a host of personal awards. He won the inaugural FIFPro World Player of the Year in September 2005, in addition to being included in the 2005 FIFPro World XI, and being named the 2005 European Footballer of the Year. Also that year, Ronaldinho added to his collection a second FIFA World Player of the Year with 956 points, more than triple the amount (306) of runner-up Frank Lampard. On 19 November, Ronaldinho scored twice as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-0 on the road in the first leg of El Clásico. After he sealed the match with his second goal, he received a standing ovation from the Madrid fans. Ronaldinho taking a corner against Celta de Vigo Ronaldinho was chosen for the UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive time in January 2006, and he contributed one goal in Barcelona's elimination of SL Benfica in the '05-06 Champions League quarterfinals with a 2-0 home victory. After a 1-0 semifinal aggregate win over Milan, in which Ronaldinho assisted the series' only goal by Ludovic Giuly, Barcelona progressed to the Champions League final, which they won on 17 May 2006 with a 2-1 defeat of Arsenal. Two weeks earlier, Barcelona had clinched their second straight La Liga title with a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo, giving Ronaldinho his first career double. He finished the season with a career-best 26 goals in all competitions, and was named the 2005-06 Champions League Player of the Year. On 25 November 2006, Ronaldinho scored his 50th career league goal against Villarreal, then later scored a second time with an overhead bicycle kick. He later said to reporters that the latter was a goal he had dreamed of scoring since he was a boy.[19] He scored once and set up two others in Barcelona's 4-0 Club World Cup win over Mexico's Club América on 14 December, but Barcelona were defeated 1-0 by Brazilian club Internacional in the final.[20] Ronaldinho was nonetheless the recipient of the Bronze Ball Award for the competition. The next day, Ronaldinho finished third in the running for the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, behind World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and Zinedine Zidane.[21] Ronaldinho was named among the UEFA Team of the Year for the third straight time in January 2007, receiving the highest number of votes with over 290,000 nominations.[22] He was forced to miss a charity match on 13 March due to an injury he had picked up several days earlier in Barcelona's 3-3 El Clásico draw with Real Madrid.[23][24] Ronaldinho playing for Milan He played his 200th career match for Barcelona in a league match against CA Osasuna on 3 February 2008. However, his 2007-08 campaign as a whole was plagued by injuries, and a muscle tear in his right leg on 3 April prematurely ended his season.[25] On 19 May, Laporta stated that Ronaldinho needed a "new challenge," claiming that he needed a new club if he were to revive his career.[26] Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra confirmed on 6 June that he was interested in acquiring him.[27] Ronaldinho and Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi each captained a team of international stars in an anti-racism exhibition match in Venezuela on 28 June, which ended in a 7-7 draw. Ronaldinho finished with a pair of goals and two assists in what would be his last match as a Barcelona player.[28] Milan In July 2008, Ronaldinho turned down a £25.5 million offer from Manchester City[29] to join Italian Serie A giants Milan on a three-year contract thought to be worth around £5.1 million (€6.5 million) a year, for a fee in the region of £14.5 million (€18.5 million).[30][31] With the number 10 already occupied by teammate Clarence Seedorf, he selected 80 as his jersey number, because 1980 was his birth year. Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Milan in a 1-0 derby victory over Internazionale on 28 September 2008, and his first brace was in a 3-0 win over Sampdoria on 19 October 2008. He scored a 93rd-minute match-winner against S.C. Braga in the UEFA Cup group stage on November 6. He finished his first season at Milan with 10 goals from 32 appearances in all competitions. After a good start to the season, Ronaldinho struggled with fitness, and was often played from the bench to end a disappointing first season for Milan. His second season did not begin on a high note, although he started nearly every match before finding himself sitting on the bench again. After a while, Ronaldinho rediscovered his form and has been arguably Milan's best player in the season. He has changed his role from Attacking midfielder to a Left winger:A more familiar role. He is currently leading the assist charts in Serie A with 8. On January 10th, 2010, Ronaldinho scored a brace against Juventus in an away match, sealing the victory for the Rossoneri 3-0. International career Ronaldinho takes a corner kick during the 2006 World Cup Ronaldinho is one of few Brazilian players to have played at every international age level. He was part of the first Brazilian team to win the FIFA U-17 World Championship in 1997, in which his first goal was a penalty against Austria in the first group match, which Brazil won 7-0. Ronaldinho finished with two goals and was awarded the Bronze Ball award as Brazil scored a total of twenty-one goals while only conceding two. Ronaldinho with Brazilian President Lula 1999 was a busy year for Ronaldinho in terms of international play. He took part in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, scoring his first goal in Brazil's last group match. In the round of sixteen, he scored two first-half goals in a 4-0 win over Croatia, and finished with three goals as Brazil were eliminated by Uruguay in the quarterfinals. On 26 June, three days before the start of the 1999 Copa América, he earned his first cap for Brazil in a 3-0 win over Latvia, and he scored one goal during Brazil's victorious Copa América campaign. One week after the conclusion of the Copa América, he was called up for the 1999 Confederations Cup, in which he scored in every match except the final, including a hat-trick in an 8-2 semifinal rout of Saudi Arabia. Ronaldinho did not score in the final, which Brazil lost 4-3 to Mexico. He won the Golden Ball award for the best player in tournament as well as the Golden Boot award for the tournament top-scorer. In 2000, Ronaldinho participated in Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia with Brazil U-23 team. Earlier that year, Ronaldinho led Brazil to win the Pre-Olympic Tournament, scoring nine goals in seven matches. However in the Olympics, Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinal by Cameroon, who later won the gold medal. Ronaldinho appeared four times and scored only one goal, which came in the quarterfinal defeat by Cameroon. Ronaldinho participated in his first World Cup in 2002, as part of a formidable offensive unit with Ronaldo and Rivaldo, who were also on the 1999 Copa América winning squad. He appeared in five matches and scored two goals. The first goal came in the group stage match against China, which Brazil won 4-0. The second goal was a match-winning goal in the quarterfinal against England on 21 June. In the 50th minute, Ronaldinho took a free-kick from 35 metres, beating England goalkeeper David Seaman to give Brazil a 2-1 lead. However, seven minutes later, he was sent-off for a foul on England defender Danny Mills. He was suspended for the semifinal, but returned to Brazil's starting lineup for the 2-0 victory over Germany in the final as Brazil won the World Cup for the fifth time. Xavier Margairaz and Ronaldinho, St. Jakob Stadion, Basel (Switzerland), Switzerland - Brasil 1:2 Ronaldinho's next international tournament was 2003 Confederations Cup. However, Ronaldinho did not manage to score any goals during the tournament as Brazil performed poorly and was eliminated in the group stage. The following year, he was left out from Brazil's 2004 Copa América squad, as coach Carlos Alberto Parreira decided to rest his stars and used a largely reserve squad.[32] He captained Brazil to its second Confederations Cup title in 2005, and was named Man of the Match in a 4-1 victory over archrivals Argentina in the final on 29 June. Ronaldinho scored three goals in the tournament and is tied with Cuauhtémoc Blanco as the tournament's all-time scorer with nine goals. Ronaldinho at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Ronaldinho started in all five of Brazil's 2006 World Cup finals matches as part of a much-publicized "magic quartet" of offensive players, alongside Adriano, Ronaldo, and Kaká. However, the foursome finished with only five goals as Brazil disappointed as a whole in the tournament. Ronaldinho turned in his worst collective performance in his international career, going scoreless with only one assist, which was for Gilberto's goal in a 4-1 group stage victory over Japan. He was a non-factor as Brazil was eliminated by France 1-0 in the quarterfinal, in which Brazil had only one shot on goal for the entire match.[33] The team was harshly criticized by Brazilian fans and media following their return home. On 3 July, two days after Brazil's elimination, vandals immolated and destroyed a 7.5-meter (23-foot) tall fiberglass and resin statue of Ronaldinho in Chapecó.[34] The statue had been erected in 2004 to celebrate his first FIFA World Player of the Year award. That same day, Ronaldinho, joined by Adriano, returned to Barcelona and held a party at his home, which was continued into the early morning hours at a nightclub. This aggravated the hard feelings of many Brazilian fans, who believed that they were betrayed by the lack of effort from the squad.[35] On 24 March 2007, he scored twice in a 4-0 win over Chile, which marked his first goal since the 2005 Confederations Cup final and thus ended a scoreless streak that lasted nearly two years.[36] He was not called up for the 2007 Copa América after asking to be excused from the tournament due to tiredness.[37] On 18 October, he was controversially benched by Barcelona after he was late returning to Spain following Brazil's 5-0 friendly win over Ecuador. He and several Brazil players celebrated the win by partying through the night at a posh Rio de Janeiro nightclub. Ronaldinho left at 11 a.m. the next morning, allegedly in the trunk of a car in order to avoid the media.[38] On 7 July 2008, Ronaldinho was named to Brazil's 2008 Summer Olympics squad as one of the over-age players.[39] Barcelona initially blocked the move because of his then-upcoming Champions League commitments with the club, but the decision was later nullified following Ronaldinho's transfer to Milan, who in turn permitted him to make the trip to Beijing.[40] Ronaldinho scored his only two goals in a decisive 5-0 victory over New Zealand before Brazil were beaten by Argentina in the semifinal. Brazil finished with the bronze medal after defeating Belgium 3-0 in the bronze medal match. Since his drop of form for his club side, AC Milan, Ronaldinho has lost his place in the Brazil squad, and it is doubtful whether or not he will be on the plane to South Africa for the 2010

Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva (born 2 September 1989 in Pato Branco, Paraná), commonly known as Alexandre Pato, is a Brazilian striker, currently playing for Italian Serie A club Milan and the Brazilian national team. The nickname "Pato" is in honour of his place of birth, but has led to commentators calling him "The Duck", which is the literal translation of "Pato" from Portuguese. He is known for his quick pace, skillful dribbling and powerful shot. Early career He started playing indoor football (futsal) in his hometown at the age of three. Soon, his ability became known all around the south Brazilian state of Paraná for being skillful and talented goal scorer and, after being praised by many of his managers, the teenager went to Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, to try out for Grêmio. He was turned away by Grêmio, the club whom he had supported since a boy – but local rivals Internacional convinced him to play for them. Despite the two clubs being bitter enemies, Pato’s parents convinced their youngster to switch his allegiance.[1][2] In 2000, when he was aged 11, his doctors determined he had a potentially malignant tumor in his left arm, which occurred after he had broken it twice in the same place. If it had not been removed, he faced the possibility of it becoming cancerous in two months. His family couldn't afford the surgery but one of their family friends, who is a doctor, operated as a volunteer for free.[3] Club career Internacional On his first team debut on November 26, 2006, at the age of 17, he helped Internacional to a 4-1 win over Palmeiras . In this game, Pato had three assists and also scored a goal. His appearance put the spotlight on the young player and created expectations and comparisons with another Brazilian superstar, the then Real Madrid player, and ex-team-mate Ronaldo.[4] Following this stunning debut, Pato was included in the Internacional squad that travelled to Japan in December 2006 to compete at the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup. Internacional had qualified for this tournament by winning the 2006 Copa Libertadores in August. On December 13, 2006, Pato scored Internacional’s first goal of the tournament in the 23rd minute of the semi-final against African club champions Al-Ahly, played at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. He was later substituted in the 65th minute due to cramp in his right leg. His replacement, Luiz Adriano, scored in the 72nd minute to give Internacional a 2-1 win and a place in the final against UEFA Champions League champions Barcelona.[5] The 2006 FIFA Club World Cup Final was played at the International Stadium in Yokohama on December 17, 2006, in front of 67,128 spectators. Alexandre Pato started the game, but was substituted by Luiz Adriano in the 61st minute with the score still 0-0. Therefore Pato was not on the field when Adriano Gabiru scored in the 82nd minute, giving Internacional a shock 1-0 win and, ultimately, the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.[6] Milan 2007–08 season Incumbent European champions Milan officially confirmed the signing of Pato on 2 August 2007,[7] paying €22,000,000 to transfer his contract from Internacional.[8] Due to FIFA football regulations regarding non-EU minors, Pato was unable to play official matches for Milan until 3 January 2008, when the Italian transfer window and registration reopened.[9] However, Milan was allowed to include the player in friendlies and training beginning 3 September 2007, one day after his 18th birthday. Pato made his non-competitive debut in a 2–2 draw against Dynamo Kiev on 7 September 2007 and scored a header. On 4 January 2008, Pato's transfer to Milan became official.[10] Pato scored his first Milan goal on his Serie A debut against Napoli in a 5–2 home victory on 13 January 2008. He scored his first brace for Milan, in a 2–0 victory over Genoa at the San Siro on 27 January 2008. He finished the 2007–08 season with 9 goals in 20 appearances (18 in the league). 2008–09 season In late 2008, Pato scored two goals in Milan's 5–1 win over Udinese just before the Christmas break, and managed to shine again with a brace against Roma the following matchday at the Stadio Olimpico on 11 January 2009, proving that he is a vital part of Milan's attack. He continued his impressive form for Milan, hitting six goals in four games, including a game winning strike against Fiorentina on 18 January. On 15 February, he scored his 11th goal of the season in a 2–1 defeat against home rivals Internazionale. On 26 February, Pato scored his 12th goal of the season against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup, a game Milan drew 2–2; but with this, were knocked out the competition on the away goals rule. Pato continued his good form with two goals against Siena on 15 March. Pato finished the 2008-09 season with 18 goals. This meant that Pato finished the 2008-09 season as Milan's top goalscorer. 2009–10 season On 22 August 2009, in the first Serie A match of the 2009/2010 season, Pato scored a goal in each half during the 2-1 win against Siena.[11] Around two months later, on 21 October 2009, during matchday 3 of the Champions league group stage, Pato scored 2 second half goals in a 3-2 win against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. He has since played at the right wing in a 4-3-3 formation. He has been of a fine run of form scoring almost a goal a game since Leonardo's tactical switch to a 4-2-3-1 with Pato playing at the right.[12] International career After gaining prominence at club level, Pato was called up for the youth teams of Brazil. He helped Brazil win the 2007 South American Youth Championship, which qualified the country for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and was selected by Brazil coach Dunga for the 2008 Summer Olympics.[13] He scored his first goal for the senior Brazilian team on his debut against Sweden at the Emirates Stadium in England on 26 March 2008, beating Pelé's record of scoring a goal within seconds of his full international debut.[2] Personal life Since 2007, Pato had been engaged to Brazilian actress Sthefany Brito, two years his senior. They split up in January 2009 and it was stated that it was a mutual decision as neither of them could keep a long-distance relationship.[14] However, they got back together and on the evening of 7 July 2009, Pato and Sthefany wed in a ceremony at the Copacabana Palace, in Rio.[15]

Nélson de Jesus Silva (born 7 October 1973 in Irará, Bahia), best known as Dida (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈdʒidɐ]), is a Brazilian goalkeeper. He currently plays for Italian Serie A club Milan, with whom he is a two-time winner of the UEFA Champions League. Club career Early life and club career Though he was born in Bahia, Dida was raised in the smaller northern state of Alagoas. His footballing role models were goalkeepers Valdir Peres and Rinat Dasaev, whom he watched on television during the 1982 FIFA World Cup.[1] A Flamengo fan,[2] he helped form an amateur team called Flamenguinho ("Little Flamengo") at thirteen, which was comprised of other boys from his neighborhood.[3] Dida's professional club career began in 1990 with Alagoas team Cruzeiro de Arapiraca (not to be confused with Cruzeiro EC). Two years later, he signed with hometown club Vitória and won the Bahia state championship in his first season. In 1993, Dida made 24 first-team appearances for Vitória after winning the Under-21 FIFA World Youth Championship as Brazil's first-choice. Dida was acquired by Cruzeiro EC in 1994, where, in a span of five seasons, he won three Minas Gerais state titles, the 1996 Copa do Brasil, and the 1997 Copa Libertadores, along with a pair of Placar Bola de Prata awards as the top goalkeeper in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. But with this success soon came a desire to ply his trade in Europe, and in January 1999, he decided to leave Cruzeiro in order to sign with Italian club A.C. Milan in a €5.5 million transfer.[4][1] A.C. Milan 2000–2002 Dida's request to opt out of the remainder of his contract with Cruzeiro in order to go to Europe kicked off a dispute with the club that lasted for five months, during which he suited up for Switzerland club FC Lugano just to keep in game shape.[1] But when the issue was finally resolved and Dida formally joined Milan, he was third on coach Alberto Zaccheroni's depth chart behind Christian Abbiati and Sebastiano Rossi. Milan loaned Dida to SC Corinthians in order to get him some regular first-team action. It was during this time that his reputation as a penalty saver came to the fore. His saving of two spot kicks in Corinthians' 3-2 victory over intrastate rivals São Paulo FC - with both penalties taken by Raí - in the semifinal of the 1999 Campeonato Brasileiro resulted in the headline "Dida is God" from sports publication Lance!.[5] In the inaugural FIFA World Club Championship (today the FIFA Club World Cup) in 2000, Dida saved a Nicolas Anelka penalty in a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid,[6] and in the final against Vasco da Gama, Corinthians won the title in a 4-3 penalty shoot-out after Edmundo's shot went wide.[7] Milan recalled Dida for the 2000–01 season, and he leapfrogged past Rossi into the starting eleven, since Abbiati was away with Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics. A 4-1 Champions League group stage win over Beşiktaş J.K. on 13 September 2000 marked his official debut for the club, but on 19 September, in the 89th minute against Leeds United at a rain-soaked Elland Road, he accidentally dropped a Lee Bowyer shot into his own goal, causing Milan to lose the match 1-0.[8] His explanation afterward was that since the ball was slippery from the rain, he attempted to absorb the force of the shot then catch hold of it, but it dropped into a puddle and bounced into goal.[9] Despite keeping a clean sheet in Milan's 2-0 win over FC Barcelona one week later, he was promptly benched following Abbiati's return. He made his first and only Serie A start that season as well, a 2-0 November loss to Parma F.C. in which Patrick Mboma scored both goals. Meanwhile, Dida was among nearly a dozen Serie A players who were implicated in a scandal involving fraudulent European passports. In October 2000, it was reported that he had registered in Italy as an EU player with a Portuguese passport, which was discovered to be false following a routine check by Milan, who then promptly re-registered him as a non-EU player.[10] UEFA declined to take any action and instead handed the case over to FIGC, who fined Milan £314,000, and banned Dida from the league for one year, in addition to a FIFA-imposed year-long suspension from national team play. On 3 April 2003, following a court appearance in Milano, he was given a seven-month suspended prison sentence.[11] Milan sent Dida back to Corinthians for the 2001-02 campaign following the passport flap, then recalled him again for the next season, which he began on the bench until Abbiati limped off with a hip injury at halftime of a Champions League qualifying stage match against FC Slovan Liberec on 14 August 2002. Dida took his place for the second half and turned in a solid performance that would result in a new first-choice keeper for Milan. 2003–2006 Dida soon wrote his name into Milan history after the 2003 Champions League final at Old Trafford against league rivals Juventus, in which he saved penalties from David Trézéguet, Marcelo Zalayeta and Paolo Montero as Milan won the shoot-out 3-2 after the match had ended goalless. The praise poured in from his home country in addition to the Italian media; he was labeled "Saint Dida" by the Brazilian press, while Folha de São Paulo chipped in with the headline "Dida pushes Milan to the top of Europe."[12] Dida was named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year after conceding only 20 goals in 32 appearances during Milan's 2003-04 Scudetto-winning season,[13] making him the first and only non-Italian goalkeeper to win the award.[1][14] On 12 April 2005, with Milan leading 1-0 in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal derby against crosstown rival Internazionale, Inter ultras became infuriated after a second-half Esteban Cambiasso goal was nullified by referee Markus Merk – who, moments later, booked Cambiasso for dissent – due to the fact that he had just whistled Inter forward Julio Cruz for a foul on Dida in the six-yard box as players were jockeying for position inside the penalty area following an Inter corner kick. Bottles and various debris were subsequently thrown onto the pitch, but the projectiles soon escalated to lit flares. As Dida attempted to clear bottles in order to take a goal kick, a flare hurtled down from the upper deck and struck him on his right shoulder, and Merk halted the match in the 74th minute.[15] After a thirty-minute delay in which firefighters were called in to remove the burning flares from the pitch, the match was restarted. Dida, however, was unable to continue, and was substituted by Abbiati. Less than a minute later, though, Merk finally abandoned the match after more flares and debris rained down. The match was awarded as a 3-0 victory, totaling a 5-0 aggregate, to Milan.[16] Dida suffered bruising and first-degree burns to his shoulder, but did not miss any game time, as he was back between the posts for Milan's Serie A match on 17 April against A.C. Siena. Meanwhile, Inter were fined just over €200,000 – the largest fine ever imposed by UEFA – and were ordered to play their first four 2005–06 Champions League home matches behind closed doors as punishment.[17] His form began to decline thereafter, as he struggled in the semifinals against PSV Eindhoven and in the 2005 CL final loss to Liverpool F.C., in which Milan blew a 3-0 halftime lead in a span of six minutes late in the second half and the match ended 3-3 after extra time. Dida was only able to save John Arne Riise's penalty as Liverpool triumphed 3-2 in the ensuing shoot-out. He had set a CL record for consecutive clean sheets with seven, which was surpassed by Arsenal's Jens Lehmann the next season. Dida's rough patch continued as he slogged through a mistake-riddled 2005–06 season, leading to Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira declaring that his starting position for the upcoming World Cup was not secure.[18] Though Milan's drive to return to the Champions League final fell short after a 1-0 semifinal aggregate loss to Barcelona, that series began a revival of his form with stops against Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Henrik Larsson over the course of both legs. 2006–2008 Dida in a home match against ACF Fiorentina on May 6, 2007 Dida got off to a strong start in 2006–07; following a strike by Lazio's Stephen Makinwa in Milan's 2-1 season-opener victory on 10 September, he did not allow a Serie A goal for the next 446 minutes of play,[19] and he conceded only two goals in five of Milan's six Champions League group stage matches. He made his 200th appearance for Milan in a 1-0 defeat of Ascoli Calcio on 20 September, and on 28 January 2007, he played his 150th career Serie A match in a 1-0 win over Parma. Dida also signed a three-year contract extension with Milan on 10 March, and said afterwards in a Milan Channel interview, "It took six months to reach this agreement and now it's finally done. I'm extremely happy."[20] However, '06–07 represented the first injury-plagued season of his career, and he missed eleven Serie A matches due to knee and shoulder problems; he had missed ten league games in the previous three seasons combined. His play had consequently suffered again by the start of 2007 and he was renowned for being very inconsistent; Dida was heavily criticized for his performance in the CL quarter-final first leg against Bayern, which ended 2-2 after Milan led twice. However, Dida turned in a man of the match performance in the second leg as Milan shut out Bayern 2-0. Then Dida was criticized for his blunder in the CL semi-final first leg against Manchester United as Milan lost 2-3. Once again, Dida bounced back and played a role in Milan's second leg 3-0 victory over United. His form then subsequently rebounded again and it continued into the rematch with Liverpool on May 23, where he exorcised his Istanbul ghosts with three saves from Jermaine Pennant, Steven Gerrard, and Peter Crouch as Milan won 2-1 and raised its seventh Champions League trophy.[21] On 3 October 2007, during Milan's CL group stage match against Celtic FC in Glasgow, Celtic striker Scott McDonald scored the match-winner in the 90th minute to seal a 2-1 victory. As McDonald and his teammates celebrated near the corner flag, 27-year-old Celtic fan Robert McHendry entered the pitch and tapped Dida on the shoulder as he ran past the Milan penalty area. Dida attempted to give chase but after a few steps he collapsed to the ground, holding the side of his face; he was stretchered off the pitch and substituted.[22] Although McHendry later turned himself in to police and was given a lifetime ban from Celtic Park, Dida was charged by UEFA with breaching rules upholding "loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship", as it was deemed that his injury was feigned. Dida was consequently punished with a two-match suspension, which Milan promptly appealed.[23][24] Prior to Milan's Serie A match against Empoli at the San Siro on 21 October, he offered a gesture of apology to the fans by pausing to bow to each section of the crowd during warmups, and received a round of applause in response.[25] The next day, UEFA reduced his ban to one match, and he sat out Milan's 4-1 victory over FC Shakhtar Donetsk on October 24.[26] Dida joined Milan teammates Cafu, Kaká, Ronaldo and Paolo Maldini for the fifth annual Match Against Poverty in Málaga, Spain on 19 November, but he missed Milan's group stage rematch against Celtic on 4 December due to illness.[27] In December, he became the first two-time winner of the FIFA Club World Cup after Milan defeated Boca Juniors.[28] Ongoing injury problems and an overall drop in form limited Dida to just thirteen league appearances for the season. His participation in the Goal4Africa charity match on 12 July 2008 marked his first on-pitch action in six months.[29] 2009–present With the return of Abbiati as Milan's first choice for the 2008–09 Serie A season, Dida was the starter for Milan's UEFA Cup campaign, which ended with their elimination at the hands of Werder Bremen on February 27, 2009. He made his season Serie A debut on March 15 against A.C. Siena when Abbiati was carted off with a serious knee injury in the 13th minute,[30] after which Dida was named as the starting keeper for the remainder of the term. He made a total of ten league appearances (his fewest with Milan since the 2000-01 season), six of which ended in clean sheets. However, Dida was unable to compete for the 2009-10 starting spot after missing the entire preseason due to injury, and consequently lost his starting position to Marco Storari, who was called back to Milan following a loan spell with Fiorentina. He made his seasonal league debut on October 18, 2009 in a 2-1 home win over Roma after Storari was a late scratch for the game. Dida started for AC Milan against Real Madrid in the champions league on 21 October 2009, where he dropped a tame shot and fumbled his rebound catch straight to Raul, who finished easily. Fortunately the error was not a costly one, as his opposite number Iker Casillas made two poor errors of his own[citation needed] to help Milan win 3-2 at the Bernabeu. On 25 October 2009 he put the memory of the error behind him in a Scudetto match against Chievo where he made a remarkable save from Pablo Granoche near the end of the match. Not long afterwards Alessandro Nesta scored the winning goal as Milan gained an important 2-1 victory. In the match versus Napoli, Dida was one of the best players in the match with four excellent saves. International career Olympic medal record Competitor for Brazil Men's Football Bronze 1996 Atlanta Team Competition With 91 appearances in 11 years,[31] Dida is Brazil's fourth-highest capped goalie, behind Émerson Leão (107 caps), Cláudio Taffarel (101), and Gilmar (94). The only Brazilian keeper to be known by his nickname, he made his Canarinho debut at the 1993 Under-21 FIFA World Youth Championship, where Brazil won the championship for a third time. His first cap for the Seleção came in a 1-0 defeat of Ecuador on 7 July 1995. Dida was the starting keeper for Brazil at the 1996 Summer Olympics, but an error-laden campaign from Brazil, which included a penalty-area collision involving him and teammate Aldair, played a role in defeats to Nigeria and Japan and left Brazil with the bronze medal.[1] Two years later, coach Mário Zagallo, who had helmed the team at the Olympics, lured 1994 World Cup hero Taffarel out of retirement and back into the #1 jersey for the 1998 World Cup in France, which Dida would watch in its entirety from the bench. He did his part in Brazil's 1999 Copa América victory by conceding only twice in six matches, in addition to saving a Roberto Ayala penalty that preserved a 2-1 win over arch rivals Argentina in the quarterfinals.[32] Despite Dida's run of good form with Corinthians at the time of the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who had replaced the fired Wanderley Luxemburgo following Brazil's lackluster qualification, made Marcos his number one. Dida, along with third-choice keeper Rogério Ceni, never played a minute in Brazil's winning campaign, thus setting a team record with fourteen consecutive WC final matches on the bench in 1998 and 2002 combined. Dida played four out of five matches in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup (Marcos made one appearance due to squad rotation), conceding four goals and ranking second in total saves behind Mexico's Oswaldo Sánchez. One memorable moment of the competition was during Brazil's 1-0 group-stage loss to Mexico, when he saved a Jared Borgetti spot kick that had to be retaken twice due to repeated player encroachment into the penalty area.[33] Brazil have taken home the trophy twice, in 1997 and 2005, and Dida was the first-choice keeper on both occasions. Overall, he participated in five consecutive Confederations Cups from 1997 to 2005, becoming only the third player to accomplish this feat (Antonio Carbajal and Lothar Matthäus),[34][dead link] and was also the lone goalie to save a penalty in the 2005 edition. 2006 World Cup Despite never playing a match during his brief tenure at FC Lugano, Dida received a warm reception from the local supporters during Brazil's training sessions in Weggis, Switzerland prior to the 2006 World Cup finals. During the team's two-week stay in Weggis, he also organized a Ping-Pong tournament in which many of his teammates, such as Lúcio, Robinho, Fred, Ronaldinho, and Ronaldo, participated. He was defeated by Juninho Pernambucano in the championship match, and the winner's trophy was even named after him.[35][dead link] He conceded only two goals in five matches as Brazil defeated Croatia, Australia, Japan, and Ghana before being eliminated by France in the quarterfinals, a match which saw the Verdeamarela manage only one shot on goal in the entire contest and led to Parreira's resignation two weeks after the conclusion of the tournament. Due to his consistent play in goal, Dida was one of few Seleção players to avoid the wrath of the fans and Brazilian media after the team's elimination. He was also the first Afro-Brazilian goalkeeper to start in the World Cup finals since Moacyr Barbosa in the 1950 competition; for this accomplishment, he was hailed as Dida, o homem que quebrou o tabu ("Dida, the man who broke the taboo").[36][dead link] He assumed the role of captain against Japan when regular skipper Cafu was rested for that match, thus becoming only the second Brazilian goalie ever to wear the armband since Emerson Leão in the 1978 World Cup. Brazil's beat France ultimately became Dida's swan song. On 1 October 2006, Brazil coach Dunga announced during a television interview, "Dida told me that the Seleção is no longer a priority in his career."[37] Despite his World Cup heroics, he had not been called up for national team play since the July 2006 inception of Dunga, who had eschewed many of the veterans in favor of a predominantly younger roster for Brazil's post-World Cup matches.

Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (born 19 April 1972 in Paulista, Pernambuco), commonly known as simply Rivaldo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who currently plays for Uzbek League club Bunyodkor on a multi-million dollar contract. He is widely considered one of the finest playmakers in the modern history of the game. He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he won the 1998 and 1999 Spanish La Liga championship and the 1998 Copa del Rey. Between 1993 and 2003, Rivaldo played 74 matches and scored 34 goals for the Brazil national football team and was a part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup winning Brazilian team. An attacking midfielder, he is known for his play-making capabilities, as well as his goalscoring ability. He is also known for his bicycle kicks.[citation needed] He was honoured as FIFA World Player of the Year and European Footballer of the Year in 1999. He was named by Pelé as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony in 2004. He is the president of Mogi Mirim Esporte Clube in his native Brazil. Contents Rivaldo had an extremely poor upbringing in the favelas of the port town of Recife.[citation needed] His physical appearance still marks the poverty he experienced in his childhood:[citation needed] malnourishment-caused bowleggedness and the loss of several teeth. Rivaldo's father Romildo was killed in a road accident in 1989, but Rivaldo went on to his first professional contract later that year.[1] Beginnings in Brazil Rivaldo began his professional career at the age of 16, when he signed with Paulista, from Pernambuco, in 1989,[2] despite the Paulista coaches believing him too physically weak to succeed.[1] He went on to play for Santa Cruz in 1991. In 1992, he moved south to the state of São Paulo where he played for Mogi Mirim in the second tier of Brazilian football. It was for Mogi Mirim that he made his claim to fame: in a 1993 São Paulo State Championship match against Bauru team Noroeste, as soon as the referee whistled for the beginning of the match, Rivaldo noticed the Noroeste goalkeeper ahead of his position and scored the opening goal by lobbing the ball over the keeper, shooting from the midfield circle. In 1993, the forward moved to the state capital to play for Corinthians in the first division. In the same year, he debuted for the Brazilian national football team, scoring the only goal in a friendly match against Mexico.[3] In the next year, he switched local allegiances and moved to Palmeiras, helping the club successfully defend its league championship in 1994. In both 1993 and 1994, he was honoured by the authoritative publication Placar Magazine with the Bola de Prata for the best player in his field position. He was selected to represent Brazil at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Brazilian team won the bronze medal, but Rivaldo was made the scape-goat for Brazil's semi-final defeat to Nigeria,[citation needed] and was excluded from the Brazilian national team by national team manager Mario Zagallo.[2] Transfer to Europe Before the 1996 Olympics, AC Parma announced that they had signed Rivaldo and his teammate Amaral from Palmeiras.[4] After the Olympics, there was a dispute, and rather than Italy, Rivaldo moved to Spain as he joined Deportivo La Coruña in La Liga. He only stayed for one season, but nonetheless a very successful one for both him and the club. Rivaldo was the fourth top goal scorer of the season with 21 goals (tied) in 41 matches as Deportivo finished third in the league. Rivaldo moved on to league rivals FC Barcelona in 1997 in a transfer deal securing Deportivo a 4000 million pesetas (around $26 million) transfer fee.[2] In his first season at Barcelona, he was the second top goal scorer with 19 goals in 34 matches, as Barcelona won The Double of La Liga championship and Copa del Rey. Rivaldo returned to the Brazilian national team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where he scored three goals, including two in the 3-2 quarter-final win against Denmark. Rivaldo had not been a part of the triumphant Brazilian team at the 1997 Copa América tournament, but was a key player in the successful defence of that title at the 1999 Copa América.[citation needed] Rivaldo earned himself the distinction as top scorer of the tournament with five goals, one being the equaliser from a trademark free-kick in a 2-1 win over Argentina in the quarter-finals, and two in the 3-0 victory over Uruguay in the final. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.[citation needed] In 1999, he won another La Liga title with Barcelona, and was again the second most scoring player in the league. In 1999, Rivaldo won both the FIFA World Player of the Year and European Footballer of the Year awards. In his third season in Barcelona, Rivaldo fell out with manager Louis van Gaal, when he insisted to play as a playmaker, and not on the left wing.[5] Even though he had a strained relationship with van Gaal, Rivaldo went on to score 10 goals in the European UEFA Champions League tournament, as the club reached the semi-finals. Van Gaal was fired in June 2000. In the following 2000-01 season, Rivaldo was once again the second best goal scorer of the league. In the last game of the season, against Valencia, Rivaldo scored a hat-trick to win the game 3-2. His third goal was a bicycle kick from the edge of the area in the 90th minute of the game, and is regarded as one of his greatest goals ever in a combination of importance and skill.[6] The win secured Barcelona a place in the following UEFA Champions League tournament. 2002 World Cup Rivaldo had been the centre of criticism when Brazil did not win tournaments, ever since the 1996 Olympics,[7] as he was said to be saving his best form for his club team. During the 2002 World Cup qualifying games, Brazil's poor form saw the team being booed by the Brazilian crowds,[citation needed] and in the 1-0 win against Colombia in November 2000, Rivaldo was booed so heavily that he threatened to retire from playing for his country.[8] He was at the centre of numerous tug of wars between Barcelona and the Brazilian national team.[citation needed] In one incident in the summer of 2001, Rivaldo had to play an exhibition match for Brazil against Panama, commute to Poland to play a match for Barcelona, and then return to Brazil for a qualifying match against Paraguay, all within ten days.[citation needed] The zenith of his national team career came at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted in South Korea and Japan. He scored in the first five games for Brazil. Brazilian striker Ronaldo had done so for four matches, allowing journalists to question whether there was any rivalry between the two athletes. Rivaldo denied this, insisting that all he wanted was to be the world champion. His spectacular goal against Belgium in the second round prompted Belgian coach Robert Waseige to name Rivaldo as the deciding factor.[9] Brazilian midfielder Ronaldinho helped Rivaldo score a crucial goal in the 2-1 win over England in the quarterfinals. Brazil eventually met Germany in the final, and went on to win the tournament with a 2-0 victory in the final. Both Ronaldo goals came from trademark Rivaldo plays, as both Rivaldo and Brazil made amends for the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final loss to France. Rivaldo was named by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari as the best player of the tournament. His early performance at the tournament was marred by his play-acting in the group match against Turkey[10] In the closing stages of the match, with the ball out of play, Turkish defender Hakan Ünsal kicked a ball towards Rivaldo, who was waiting at the corner flag. The ball struck his thigh, but Rivaldo fell to the ground clutching his face. The referee sent the Turkish player off with a second yellow card. After a video review, Rivaldo was fined 11,670 Swiss Francs by FIFA, 1,670 of which were for "costs".[11] Barcelona exit In June 2002, van Gaal returned to manage Barcelona. Rivaldo was released from his contract, and signed a three-year deal with the Italian Serie A club Milan. With Milan, he won the Italian Cup and the UEFA Champions League in the 2002-03 season. His time in Milan proved a mutually disappointing affair. He left the club after a season of very few starts, partly due to injury problems.[citation needed] He briefly returned to Brazil, playing for Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte. On July 22, 2004 he returned to Europe, joining Greek Alpha Ethniki division club Olympiacos after much talk about which club he would join. Olympiacos had to fight off other clubs like Celtic. There was also speculation that he might join English club Bolton Wanderers, with Rivaldo stating that he wanted to help them qualify for Europe for the first time. However the deal fell apart because his agents were making too many demands.[12] Olympiacos move Rivaldo scored some memorable goals in his first season at Olympiacos, including a fantastic effort in the Greek Cup final with a well placed lob from a difficult position close to the corner flag.[citation needed] Rivaldo also scored two memorable free kicks during the season, the first in the local derby against Panathinaikos and the second against English club Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.[citation needed] Olympiacos managed to keep the 1-0 lead against their arch-rivals, but Liverpool fought back to score the 3 goals needed to keep Olympiacos from the Final 16, much to Rivaldo's dismay. In the last game of his first season at Olympiacos, the club needed a victory in order to win the Alpha Ethniki championship, with Panathinaikos just one point behind. Olympiacos went on to beat Iraklis 0-1 in an away match in Thessaloniki, by yet another Rivaldo goal,[citation needed] and secured the championship. Rivaldo continued to score in the UEFA Champions League the following year. He scored a stunning 30 yard strike against Rosenborg BK,[13] and against old foes Real Madrid, although this was not enough, as Olympiacos failed to advance from the preliminary Group Phase. In the domestic competitions, he kept the best for the second half of the season. He scored twice in Olympiacos' come-from-behind victory against Panathinaikos, as well as two in his team's 3-0 triumph against second placed AEK Athens, effectively securing another title for Olympiacos. He also put Olympiacos through to the Greek Cup semi-finals, scoring on free-kicks in both quarter-final games against Skoda Xanthi.[citation needed] Rivaldo renewed his contract with Olympiacos for a third and final year, and promised to give his best, despite having turned 34. He didn't wait long to turn his words into actions: He led Olympiacos to overturn their half-time deficit against Skoda Xanthi, and scored both goals for the dramatic 2-1 victory in the first game of the season, winning him the Greek SuperLeague's first-ever Player of the Week and Goal of the Week awards.[citation needed] In July 2006, Rivaldo announced that the 2006-07 season with Olympiacos would be his last in Europe, before returning to Brazil.[14] However he quicky changed his decicion and decided to stay for another year. The 2006-2007 season was arguably his best season at Olympiakos,[citation needed] having scored 17 goals at 27 matches, at the Superleague championship. AEK Athens Rivaldo quit Olympiacos after contract negotiations stalled and signed on with rival Super League club AEK Athens on 29 May 2007, making the acquisition arguably the best[citation needed] in the team's history. Rivaldo finished his Olympiakos career with 43 goals in 81 games played. At AEK Athens, Rivaldo played under his former Barcelona manager Llorenç Serra Ferrer. He began his AEK career with a bang, scoring in his first friendly match. European goals soon followed; a penalty kick against Sevilla in AEK's unsuccessful UEFA Champions League qualifier, and a stunning bicycle kick in their UEFA Cup first round thumping of the Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg. Rivaldo's first Super League goal with AEK Athens came through a penalty in their 3-0 win against Panionios. Rivaldo was the Man of the Match[citation needed] against his former team Olympiacos, where he had 3 assists and his team won 4-0. Move to Uzbekistan Rivaldo announced on 25 August 2008 to a Greek Sport Radio Station that he agreed to continue his career at Bunyodkor in Uzbekistan, effective immediately, after what he described as an "extremely tempting contract offer".[15] Rivaldo signed a 2-year contract worth €10.2 million [16] and started his Uzbekistan career superbly with a brace on his debut. He scored his third goal in the AFC Champions League quarter final match leg 1, against Saipa of Iran in the match that finished 2-2. He scored in the return leg as well, in a 5-1 victory. On 19th of November 2008 he signed a new contract that will keep him in Uzbekistan until June of 2011.[16]

Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha (born 10 April 1973 in Garça, São Paulo), commonly known as simply Roberto Carlos, is a Brazilian footballer who signed a contract to play for Corinthians of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A,[2] normally as a wing back. Roberto Carlos was a member of the Brazil national team in three World Cups, helping the team reach the final in the 1998 competition and win the 2002 tournament. He is also known for his trademark free kicks and explosive strikes. Before joining Fenerbahçe, he played for Spanish club Real Madrid for 11 years, winning four leagues, three UEFA Champions League trophies, and two Intercontinental Cups. He is also one of only six players to have played more than 100 matches in the Champions League, as of February 2008.[3] He finished second to countryman Ronaldo in the 1997 FIFA World Player of the Year award poll and was named as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers by Pelé in March 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica heralds Roberto Carlos as "an excellent exponent of the wing back position."[4] Club career [edit] União São João Roberto Carlos began his professional career playing for União São João, a football club based in Araras (São Paulo State). Despite playing at what was seen as a lesser club, he was called up for the Brazil national football team. [edit] Palmeiras At Palmeiras, Roberto Carlos was recognized as one of the greats of Brazilian football, winning two consecutive Brazilian Leagues. [edit] Internazionale After almost signing for Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough side in 1995, Roberto Carlos chose a move to F.C. Internazionale Milano, in the Serie A, playing one season for the Nerazzurri. The then-coach of Inter, Roy Hodgson, wanted him to play as a left winger, but Carlos preferred to play only as a left back. [edit] Real Madrid Roberto Carlos played at Real Madrid C.F. for 11 seasons, playing a total of 584 matches and scoring 71 goals in all competitions. 370 of them were league matches, in which he scored 46 goals from his left-back position. He famously set up Zinedine Zidane to score the winner for Real Madrid to win the Champions League in 2002. His consistently high standard and dynamic displays saw him voted into the uefa.com users' UEFA Team of the Year in 2002 and 2003.[5] On 2 August 2005, he received dual Spanish and Brazilian citizenship. This proved important for Real Madrid, as it meant that he now counted as a European Union player. In January 2006, he set a club record for the most league matches played by a non-Spanish born player by making his 330th appearance for Madrid. He broke the previous mark of 329 held by Alfredo di Stéfano.[6] Having played 30 or more league matches for ten consecutive seasons and being one of the most consistent players in the squad, he was heavily criticized for conceding the ball early during the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Bayern Munich, which led to Roy Makaay's goal, the quickest goal in the tournament's history. On 9 March 2007, he announced his decision to not renew his contract with Real Madrid. But in one of the last few games of the season in the dying seconds against Recreativo de Huelva, Fernando Gago played a beautiful pass and Roberto Carlos slotted it home. As a result, Real Madrid were on course for their 30th La Liga championship. He was linked with a move to Chelsea in the summer of 2006.[7] [edit] Fenerbahçe On 19 June 2007, Roberto Carlos signed a two-year contract and one year optional with the Turkish Super League champions Fenerbahçe at the stadium in front of thousands of fans.[8][9] In the first official match he played with the team, Fenerbahçe won the Turkish Super Cup against Beşiktaş by two goals. During a league match against Sivasspor, he scored his first goal for Fenerbahçe on 25 August 2007 on a diving header, which was only the third headed goal of his career. He was injured during the final period of the same season and missed the title race between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray.[10] His team eventually lost the title to their rivals, while guaranteeing a place for themselves in Champions League knockouts for the next season. He announced that he was unhappy about the final result and would do his best to carry the domestic trophy back to the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.[11] On 7 October 2009 Roberto Carlos announced that he would leave Fenerbahçe upon the expiration of his contract in December 2009. He offered to return to Real Madrid and play for free, though he also said return to the Brazilian domestic leagues was a possibility[12] and announced on 25 November 2009 his departure on.[13] [edit] Corinthians On 15 December 2009 it was released in Corinthians' official website that Roberto Carlos will be playing for Corinthians in the future, starting on 4 January 2010. He will play in Corinthians, as declared in the club official website. The left back, after have ended the contract with Fenerbahçe and return in Brazil with his friend Ronaldo, next 4 January he will be introduced to the press, with the jersey number 6[14]. [edit] International career Roberto Carlos amassed 125 caps, scoring 11 goals[15] for the Brazilian national team. At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, he played seven matches, including the final loss to France. After a qualifying game for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert spat on Roberto Carlos, an action which caused FIFA to give Chilavert a three-match suspension and forced him to watch the first game of the World Cup from the stands. Roberto Carlos also played seven matches in the finals, scoring a goal from a free kick against China. He also was a starter in the final against Germany, with Brazil winning 2-0. He is especially famous for a free kick against France in the inaugural match of Tournoi de France 1997 on 3 June 1997. He shot from 35 m (110 ft) from the centre-right channel, and scored. The ball curved so much that the ball boy 10 yards to the right ducked instinctively, thinking that the ball would hit him. Instead, it eventually curled back on target, much to the surprise of goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, who just stood in place.[16] After the elimination by France in the quarter-final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he announced his retirement from international football. Against France, he was widely criticised for failing to mark Thierry Henry during a Zinedine Zidane freekick which resulted in a goal from Henry.[17]

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (Portuguese pronunciation: [xiˈkaɾdʊ iˈzɛksõ dʊsˈsɐ̃tʊs ˈleɪ̯tʃɪ]; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká, is a Brazilian football midfielder who currently plays for Real Madrid C.F.[1] and the Brazilian national team. He started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club. By then, he also played tennis,[2] and it was not until he moved on to São Paulo FC and signed his first professional contract with the club at the age of fifteen that he chose to focus on football. In he joined A.C. Milan for a fee of €8.5 million. While at the Italian club, Kaká won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007. In addition to his contributions on the pitch, Kaká is known for his humanitarian work. In 2004, by the time of his appointment, he became the youngest ambassador of the United Nations' World Food Programme. Club career São Paulo Kaká began his career with São Paulo at the age of eight. He signed a contract at fifteen and led the São Paulo youth squad to Copa de Juvenil glory. He made his senior side debut in January 2001 and scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, in addition to leading São Paulo to its first and only Torneio Rio-São Paulo championship, in which he scored two goals in two minutes as a substitute against Botafogo in the final, which São Paulo won 2–1. He scored 10 goals in 22 matches the following season, and by this time his performance was soon attracting attention from European clubs. Kaká made a total of 58 appearances for São Paulo, scoring 23 times.[9] Milan Kaká and Brazilian President Lula. The steady European interest in Kaká culminated in his signing with Italian club AC Milan in 2003 for a fee of €8.5 million, described in retrospect as "peanuts" by club owner Silvio Berlusconi.[10] Within a month, he cracked the starting lineup, and his Serie A debut was in a 2–0 win over Ancona. He scored 10 goals in 30 appearances that season, as Milan won the Scudetto and the UEFA Super Cup. Kaká was a part of the five-man midfield in the 2004–05 season, usually playing in a withdrawn role behind striker Andriy Shevchenko. He scored seven goals in 36 domestic appearances as Milan finished runner-up in the Scudetto race. Despite Milan losing the 2004–05 Champions League final to Liverpool on penalties, he was nonetheless was voted the best midfielder of the tournament. 2005–06 saw Kaká score his first hat-tricks in domestic competition. On 9 April 2006, he scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo; all three goals were scored in the second half. The following season, he scored his first Champions League hat-trick in a 4–1 group stage win over the Belgian side Anderlecht. Andriy Shevchenko's departure to Chelsea for the 2006–07 season allowed Kaká to become the focal point of Milan's offense as he alternated between the midfield and striker positions. He finished as the top scorer in the 2006–07 Champions League campaign with ten goals. One of them helped the Rossoneri eliminate Celtic in the quarter-finals on a 1–0 aggregate, and three others proved fatal for Manchester United in the semi-finals, despite Milan losing the first leg. Kaká added the Champions League title to his trophy case for the first time when Milan defeated Liverpool on 23 May 2007. Though he went scoreless, he won a free kick that led to the first of Filippo Inzaghi's two goals, and provided the assist for the second. For his stellar play throughout the competition, he was voted the Vodafone Fans' Player of the Season in a poll of over 100,000 UEFA.com visitors. On 30 August, Kaká was named by UEFA as both the top forward of the 2006–07 Champions League season and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.[11] He played his 200th career match with Milan in a 1–1 home draw with Catania on 30 September, and on 5 October, he was named the 2006–07 FIFPro World Player of the Year. On 2 December 2007, Kaká became the eighth Milan player to win the Ballon d'Or, as he finished with a decisive 444 votes, long ahead of runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo.[12] He signed a contract extension through 2013 with Milan on February 29, 2008.[13] Due to his contributions on and off the pitch, Time magazine named Kaká in the Time 100, a list of the world's 100 most influential people, on 2 May.[14] On 14 October, he cast his footprints into the Estádio do Maracanã's sidewalk of fame, in a section dedicated to the memory of the country's top players.[15] He won the honor again in 2009.[16] The BBC reported on 13 January 2009 that Manchester City made a bid for Kaká for over £100 million. Milan director Umberto Gandini replied that Milan would only discuss the matter if Kaká and Manchester City agreed to personal terms.[17] Kaká initially responded by telling reporters he wanted to "grow old" at Milan and dreamed of captaining the club one day, but later said, "If Milan want to sell me, I’ll sit down and talk. I can say that as long as the club don’t want to sell me, I'll definitely stay."[18] On 19 January, Silvio Berlusconi announced that Manchester City had officially ended their bid after a discussion between the clubs, and that Kaká would remain with Milan.[19] Milan supporters had protested outside the club headquarters earlier that evening, and later chanted outside Kaká's home, where he saluted them by flashing his jersey outside a window.[20] Real Madrid Kaká celebrates during the match between Real Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruña On 3 June 2009, Football Italia reported that newly-elected Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had offered Milan a ₤68.5 million deal for Kaká,[21] two days after the player had left for international duty with Brazil.[22] Milan vice president Adriano Galliani did not deny the reports, and confirmed that he and Kaká's father, Bosco Leite, had traveled to Mexico to meet with La Volpe. "We had lunch and spoke about Kaká. I don't deny it. Negotiations exist, but a deal has yet to be done."[23] On 4 June, Galliani told Gazzetta dello Sport that financial reasons were his motive for the talks with La Volpe. "We cannot allow [Milan] to lose €70 million [...] The reasons behind Kaká's departure would be economic."[23] On 8 June, Milan and Real Madrid confirmed Kaká has moved to the Bernabéu on a six-year deal.[24] Kaká made his unofficial debut in a friendly against Toronto FC, and scored his first goal for Madrid during a preseason match against Borussia Dortmund, which Madrid won 5-0.[25] He scored his first official goal for Real Madrid on week 5 against Villareal from a penalty kick. International career Kaká with Brazil Kaká was called up for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, but the Brazilians crashed out to Ghana in the quarter-finals. Several months later, he made his debut for the senior Brazil squad in a friendly match against Bolivia on 31 January 2002. He was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, but played only 25 minutes,[26] all of which were in the first round match against Costa Rica. In 2003, Kaká was the captain for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, where Brazil, competing as with their under-23 team, finished as runner-up to Mexico. He scored three goals during the tournament. He was included in Brazil's squad for 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany. He appeared in all five matches and scored one goal in a 4–1 win over Argentina in the final. Kaká started in his first FIFA World Cup finals in 2006 and scored his first and only goal of the tournament in Brazil's 1–0 victory over Croatia in Brazil's opener, for which he was named Man of the Match.[27] He was unable to keep up the momentum for the remainder of the tournament, as Brazil was eliminated by France in the quarter-finals. In a friendly against rivals Argentina on 3 September 2006, after entering as a substitute, he received the ball off a deflection from an Argentina corner kick and outran Lionel Messi while taking the ball down three quarters of the field to score.[28] On 12 May 2007, citing an exhaustive schedule of Serie A, Champions League, and national team play, Kaká bowed out of the 2007 Copa América, which Brazil won.[29] After missing out on the Copa América, he returned to play in Brazil's friendly match against Algeria on 22 August 2007. Kaká participated in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, marking his first international tournament since the 2006 World Cup. His only two goals came in Brazil's group stage opener against Egypt on 14 June, when he scored a goal in the fifth minute and then added a 90th-minute penalty in Brazil's 4–3 victory.[30] He received the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament at the Confederations Cup and was also named the Man of the Match in the final after helping Brazil to a 3-2 win against the United States.[31][32][33] Personal life Kaká with his wife Caroline A devout evangelical Christian, Kaká became engrossed in religion at the age of 12: "I learnt that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not." He removed his jersey to reveal an "I Belong to Jesus" t-shirt and openly engaged in prayer moments after the final whistle of Brazil's 2002 World Cup, and Milan's 2004 Scudetto and 2007 Champions League triumphs. He also had the same phrase, along with "God Is Faithful," stitched onto the tongues of his boots.[34] During the postmatch celebration following Brazil's 4–1 win over Argentina in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup final, he and several of his teammates wore t-shirts that read "Jesus Loves You" in various languages. Kaká is a member of the organization Atletas de Cristo ("Athletes of Christ").[35] His goal celebration consists of him pointing to the sky as a gesture of thanks to God. Kaká's favourite music is gospel,[36] and his favourite book is the Bible.[37] Since November 2004, he has served as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations' World Food Programme, the youngest to do so at the time of his appointment. Kaká is a follower of the evangelical Rebirth in Christ Church[38]. He married his childhood sweetheart Caroline Celico on 23 December 2005 at a Rebirth in Christ church in São Paulo.[39] Their first child, Luca Celico Leite, was born in São Paulo on 10 June 2008.[40] Kaká was sworn in as an Italian citizen on 12 February 2007.[41] He features prominently in adidas advertising and also has a modeling contract with Armani, the latter preventing him from appearing in a photo collection alongside his Milan teammates that was published by Dolce & Gabbana in early 2007. Raí, the former Brazilian and São Paulo FC captain, has always been the idol of Kaká.[citation needed] Kaká's best friend is Chivas USA midfielder and fellow Brazilian Marcelo Saragosa. They both served as best man at each other's wedding.[42] Nickname His nickname is pronounced as it is spelled, with stress on the second syllable, and is a common term of endearment of "Ricardo" in Brazil. In Kaká's case, it was born from younger brother Rodrigo calling him "Caca" due to his inability to pronounce "Ricardo" when they were young; it eventually evolved into Kaká.[34]