Kaká had a way of running with the ball that made defenders look as if they were standing still. The Brazilian glided rather than dribbled, and football looked a little like dancing when he had it. At AC Milan in 2007 he produced the season of his life.
Milan won the Champions League that year, with Kaká outstanding across the whole tournament. In the final against Liverpool he gave one of the most complete midfield displays the competition had seen. Then the individual awards arrived. He won the Ballon d'Or, beating Messi and Ronaldo, and the FIFA World Player of the Year as well, a sweep of both major honours.
The last one before the duopoly
Kaká was the last player to win the Ballon d'Or before the Messi and Ronaldo era took hold, and he deserved it fully. His pace, dribbling and finishing made him one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders of his time, and his 2007 ranks among the best individual seasons the game has seen.
The story had started well before Milan. Kaká won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil at 20, an early notice to the rest of the world.
For one year, the Angel of Milan flew higher than anyone else in the game.
Tomorrow: number 18.
