ran riot as Milan established a 3-0 first-half lead. On came Didier Hamann at half-time, and it was a different game. With Kaka now quietened, Liverpool hit back and ended up winning on penalties.

Kaka mixed power and finesse to rank among the game's greats in the 2000s.

Two years later, when the sides met again, Javier Mascherano kept Kaka quiet. But a goal down and needing to chase the game, Mascherano was taken off, and Kaka had the freedom to set up what turned out to be the winning goal -- capping a special season in which he was the top scorer in the Champions League.

Things would never be quite as good again. Injuries started to take their toll. He was afflicted with knee and groin problems, and oncehis acceleration had been reduced, he lacked the subtlety to shine as before. He was unable to live up to his Galactico status at Real Madrid, and returned to Milan for a year before, with a brief spell back where it started at Sao Paulo, ending his career at Orlando City. After the high of 2007, it all looks like an anti-climax.

The most disappointing part of the career, though, was the World Cup. True, he claimed a winner's medal in 2002. But he was taken to the Far East for experience and made one brief substitute appearance in a group game against Costa Rica.

In 2006 he was part of the so-called "magic quartet": Kaka and Ronaldinho in midfield, backed up by strikers Ronaldo and Adriano. The side were