International soccer player Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite - known as Kaká - has agreed to play for a new Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise in Orlando, Florida. He announced his plans to leave Italian professional football league AC Milan Monday, and plans to spend six months on loan at Sao Paulo FC prior to joining the Orlando City club in January 2015.
Although the midfielder did not play for the 2014 World Cup team, Kaká helped to lead the Brazilian National Football team to World Cup championship in 2002 and has played on the Brazilian squad for two additional World Cup series as well. The 32-year-old won the FIFA World Player and Ballon d'Or awards in 2007, and was known as the best soccer player in the world at that time.
Kaká came to Christ at the age of 18, and has been vocal about his Christian faith - "In my whole life, Jesus is in first place," he says. Kaká has been known to wear "I Belong to Jesus" t-shirts to professional games and also shared his testimony on "I Am Second" at the start of the 2014 World Cup.
Super Sport reports that Kaká is thrilled at the opportunity to help build a soccer team in the United States - "From 2012 until now we have been speaking a lot, flirting a lot until today that we signed this final contract and I'm so happy for that," he says of joining the Orlando City organization - "It's a dream come true."
The Orlando City Soccer Club will be a new MLS franchise for 2015, and SB Nation calls Kaká's addition to the team "one of the highest-profile signings in the league's history."
