Cafu

Cafu
Cafu at the 2019 Copa América
Personal information
Full name Marcos Evangelista de Morais[1]
Date of birth (1970-06-07) 7 June 1970 (age 54)[2]
Place of birth Itaquaquecetuba, São Paulo, Brazil
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Right-back
Youth career
Nacional-SP
Portuguesa
1988–1990 São Paulo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1995 São Paulo 216 (33)
1995 Real Zaragoza 16 (0)
1995 Juventude 4 (0)
1995–1997 Palmeiras 41 (2)
1997–2003 Roma 163 (5)
2003–2008 AC Milan 119 (4)
Total 559 (44)
International career
1990–2006 Brazil 142 (5)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Brazil
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1994 United States
Winner 2002 South Korea–Japan
Runner-up 1998 France
Copa América
Winner 1997 Bolivia
Winner 1999 Paraguay
Runner-up 1991 Chile
FIFA Confederations Cup
Winner 1997 Saudi Arabia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marcos Evangelista de Morais (born 7 June 1970), known as Cafu ([kaˈfu]), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a right-back. Widely regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, he is known for his pace and energetic attacking runs along the right flank.[4][5][6] He is the most-capped player for the Brazil national team with 142 appearances.

At club level, Cafu won several domestic and international titles while playing in Brazil, Spain, and Italy; he is best known for his spells at São Paulo (1989–1995), Roma (1997–2003), and AC Milan (2003–08), teams with which he made history, although he also played briefly for Zaragoza, Juventude, and Palmeiras during a two-year spell from 1995 to 1997. In 1994, Cafu was crowned South American Footballer of the Year, and in 2004, was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[7] He was additionally named to the FIFPro World XI in 2005, and in 2020 was included in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.

Cafu represented his nation in four FIFA World Cups between 1994 and 2006, and is the only player in history to have appeared in three World Cup finals, both overall and consecutive, winning the 1994 and 2002 editions of the tournament, the latter as his team's captain where he lifted the World Cup trophy. With Brazil, he also took part in four editions of the Copa América, winning the title twice, in 1997 and 1999; he was also a member of the national side that won the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.

  1. ^ "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players: Brazil" (PDF). FIFA. 21 March 2014. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Cafu". soccerway.com. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Cafu". AC Milan. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  4. ^ Matchett, Karl (1 March 2013). "15 Best Attacking Fullbacks in World Football History". Bleacher Report.
  5. ^ Cooper, Max (12 August 2020). "The Best Right-Backs of All Time". 90Min.
  6. ^ Hosangadi, Aditya (5 May 2020). "20 Best defenders of all time". Sportskeeda.
  7. ^ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2013.