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Updated September 26th, 2022 at 13:21 IST

Not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil legend Kaka names his favourite player

Ricardo Kaka, who played as an attacking midfielder for AC Milan and Real Madrid, is regarded as one of the best players of his generation.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Neymar, Messi vs Ronaldo, Ricardo Kaka, Ricardo Kaka career, Neymar Jr career, PSG, FIFA World Cup
Image: AP | Image:self
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Brazilian football legend Ricardo Kaka recently named his favourite player in the modern game when given a choice to pick between Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar Jr. Kaka chose his compatriot Neymar as his favourite contemporary player. Kaka picked Neymar ahead of Messi and Ronaldo, saying that he don't know if it is because he shares a great personal relationship with the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star. 

Kaka chooses Neymar over Messi and Ronaldo as favourite player

"I don't know if it's because we have a great personal relationship but I love how Neymar plays. Of course I like to see others like Mbappé, Messi, Cristiano or Vinicius himself but I'll stick with 'Ney'," Kaka told the Spanish outlet MARCA. 

Kaka further insisted that the pressure will be off Neymar at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar since Brazil now has other good players in the squad, including the likes of Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Richarlison, and Antony. Kaka said Neymar was the sole protagonist for Brazil in the previous edition of the World Cup and feels that it put a lot of pressure on the PSG star and also affected his performance.  

"Neymar is going to be the leader of Brazil in Qatar 2022 but it is very important that he has players like Vinicius at his side. In the 2018 World Cup, 'Ney' was the absolute protagonist but now we have 'Vini', Raphinha, Richarlison, Antony... who are not young promises but realities. This takes some pressure off Neymar, something that is very favourable for our interests," he added. 

Kaka's career

Kaka, who played as an attacking midfielder for AC Milan and Real Madrid, is regarded as one of the best players of his generation. He was named the world's best footballer in 2007 and was awarded the prestigious Ballon d'Or. Interestingly, Messi and Ronaldo were also on the list to win the Ballon d'Or in 2007, however, they eventually finished in second and third places, respectively. 

In his senior club career that lasted from 2001 to 2016, Kaka made 654 appearances for various teams, including AC Milan, Real Madrid, Sao Paulo, and Orlando City, and scored 208 goals. He played the most number of games for AC Milan, appearing in 270 matches and scoring 95 goals across competitions. In addition to his club career, Kaka also played 92 matches for Brazil and scored 29 goals. 

Image: AP

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Published September 26th, 2022 at 13:21 IST

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