Already a legend of the game, Kaká has now been immortalised and introduced to a new generation by being featured as an EA FC ICON in the latest edition of the ever-popular gaming franchise, EAFC 26. And we spent some time with the Brazilian to get his take on that honour, as well as looking back on his journey in the game.
There are footballers who made history. And then there are those who made history look beautiful. Kaká belongs firmly in the latter. The Brazilian, who once made gliding past defenders look like a Sunday stroll, has now been immortalised once again — this time as an EA FC ICON. For Kaká, it’s more than pixels and ratings.
“It’s a really big honour for me,” he says with the calmness of someone who has seen it all. “But the really cool thing is for my kids and the younger generations to see what sort of player I was back in the day. It’s really great to have this kind of history in the game both in the real world and virtually.”
Few players can stack a CV with league titles in Italy and Spain, a Champions League crown, and the holy grail of them all: a World Cup. Kaká can. And while the Ballon d’Or sits comfortably in his trophy cabinet, his words remind you of where his footballing heart truly lies. “As a Brazilian the World Cup was the most special for me. In terms of football and our culture – it’s the biggest prize.”
His story started in Gama, a small neighbourhood where resources were scarce but imagination was limitless. “We didn’t have proper pitches or footballs,” he recalls. “We’d be playing with anything we could find, using rocks or rolled up socks. But I think it really helped me…especially my touch!”
It’s that pure form of football — free, improvised, expressive — that defined him. Culture, for Kaká, wasn’t separate from the game. It was stitched into every step-over, every smile. “Culture and arts is a big thing for Brazilians. It was never just an escape but another way to express ourselves on the pitch. Whether it’s music, dance, or a unique style…it all felt connected.”
Ask him what he misses most about the weekly grind of football, and he doesn’t talk about goals or medals. He talks about people. “For me it has to be the fans. Playing in front of thousands of people was always an honour and such a special feeling that is really hard to recreate when you stop playing.”
That connection — between player, fan, and culture — is what Brazilian football has always exported to the world. “Our style is very unique. We play to enjoy, we play to entertain, and to make people feel good. We’re lucky to have had so many players with these qualities over the years.”
The modern game may look different, but Kaká is in no doubt that his craft would still cut through. “The game has changed from my time, but I think a lot of the principles are still the same…I think I would have been ok playing today still!”
That humility defines him as much as his football ever did. For a player who reached the summit, legacy matters — but not in the way you might expect. “First of all, as a Christian I want to be known as a good person on a human level. Then as a footballer, someone who made the fans happy and someone who played with passion and gave everything for his teammates.”
The world remembers Kaká for the way he carried the ball with elegance and lit up nights in Milan, Madrid, and beyond. But perhaps the truest legacy is that he made football feel good. For him, for us, and now for generations discovering him all over again — both in memory and in pixels.
EA Sports FC 26 is available for purchase now across multiple platforms.
