Biography
Who is Cafu?
Early life and real name
Born Marcos Evangelista de Morais in São Paulo, Brazil, Cafu grew up as one of six children in the Jardim Irene favela. As a child, he received the nickname Cafu in honor of the Brazilian winger Cafuringa. At the age of seven, he attended a football academy and later played for various youth sides including Nacional-SP and Portuguesa, while also spending two years playing futsal.
After facing rejections from several youth squads in the early 1980s, he finally made the youth squad of his hometown club São Paulo in 1988. He won the Copa São Paulo youth tournament that same year. Under youth coach Telê Santana, he transitioned smoothly from right midfield to wingback, a position change that helped shape his historic professional career.
Club career highlights
At club level, Cafu achieved significant success playing in Brazil, Spain, and Italy. During his time with São Paulo, he won back-to-back Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cups in 1992 and 1993, and was named the South American Footballer of the Year in 1994. He later played briefly for Spanish side Real Zaragoza, winning the Cup Winners' Cup, before returning to Brazil with Juventude and Palmeiras.
In 1997, Cafu moved to AS Roma, where he won the Serie A Scudetto. He subsequently joined AC Milan in 2003, winning another Scudetto, the UEFA Supercup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. He also played in the UEFA Champions League final in 2005 and won it in 2007. He concluded his professional career with AC Milan after scoring in a match against Udinese.
International success
Cafu is the most-capped player in the history of the Brazil national team, making 142 appearances. He represented his nation in four FIFA World Cups between 1994 and 2006. He made history as the first player to appear in three consecutive World Cup finals, winning the tournament in 1994 and captaining the team to victory in 2002.
In addition to his World Cup triumphs, Cafu also competed in four editions of the Copa América, winning the title in 1997 and 1999. He was also a member of the squad that secured the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1997. His strong international career established him as one of the greatest full-backs in football history.
Birthday and age
Cafu was born on June 7, 1970, which makes Cafu 56 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Cafu shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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