Born in Sao Paulo on June 7, 1970 as Marcos Evangelista de Moraes, the Brazilian right-back Cafu is one of the most skilful, successful and widely respected attacking full-backs in the history of the game.
During a long career at club level he achieved unparalleled success in South America and Europe as well as making history in a record breaking international career for the Brazilian national side.
He started his career as a seven-year-old at a local football academy in Sao Paolo but he was rejected by many professional teams in Brazil including Corinthians and Santos. His finally joined a professional youth team, that of his home town club Sao Paolo. He had soon cemented a starting role in the first team which enjoyed great success winning a league title in 1991 and then back to back Copa Libertadores in 1992 and 1993.
By this time he had already made more than 25 appearances for the national side which included appearances in the 1991 and 1993 Copa America. In 1994 Cafu was named South American Footballer of the Year at the age of 24 and was named in Carlos Alberto Parreira’s World Cup squad for the tournament in the USA.
Cafu was only used a squad player, playing just three matches, although notably once appearance came in the final against Italy after Jorginho was injured after 20 minutes. Brazil went on to win on penalties and lift their fourth World Cup. After the World Cup victory Cafu had won all he could in South America and chose to move to Zaragoza. He only made 16 appearances but helped the Spanish side win the 1995 Cup Winner’s Cup.
He returned to Brazil for a season with Palmerias but in the summer of 1997 he made the most important move of his career. He joined Roma, a team who had not enjoyed great success in previous years. However under Zdenek Zeman the Giallorossi were on the up and in Cafu’s first season they finished fourth. Cafu had quickly find a place in the heart of the Romans and was nicknamed il Pendolino (the Express Train).
Cafu headed to his second World Cup in France with his team being chosen by many as the heavy favourites. They finished their group top including a memorable 2-1 win over Scotland. Brazil beat Chile and Denmark before needing a penalty shootout to conquer the Dutch in the semi-finals.
The final against the host nation France was over shadowed by the events surrounding Ronaldo. Brazil never got going in the final and two headed goals from Zinedine Zidane ensured France won their first ever World Cup. When Fabio Capello took over at Roma in 1999 they seemed to be a good top six team but lacked the cutting edge needed to win the scudetto.
Capello improved the squad with players such as Vincenzo Montella and Gabriel Batistuta. I Lupi finally looked ready to mount a serious title challenge at the turn of the Millennium. The 2000-01 season was to be their time. It all came down to the last game of the season against Parma at the Olimpico. Juve and Lazio were still with a chance of the title but thanks to goals from Francesco Totti, Montella and Bastistuta, Roma won their second title in their history and the party began in Rome.
Roma missed out the title the following season by a point to Juve and Cafu headed to his third World Cup looking to reach his third final in a row.
Brazil endured a rocky qualification for the 2002 tournament in Japan and Korea, during which Cafu came under heavy criticism from coach Wanderley Luxemburgo, who stripped him of the team captaincy after he was sent off in a qualifier against Paraguay.
Shortly after that, though, Luxemburgo was out of a job, and his replacement Luiz Felipe Scolari made Cafu’s Roma team mate Emerson his new captain. However, Emerson missed the finals after he dislocated his shoulder in training, which allowed Cafu to regain the armband.
Brazil had a fairly easy route to the final with their hardest game coming in a 2-1 win against the English in Shizuoka. After Brazil defeated Germany 2–0 in the final, he stood on the victory podium during the postmatch celebration and, as he raised the trophy, shouting to his wife, “Regina, eu te amo!” (“Regina, I love you!”). This had become one of the most iconic images in his country’s footballing history.
The 2002-03 season was to be the last for Cafu in the capital. He bowed out in a 4-2 Coppa Italia final defeat against the team he would join in the summer: Milan. He made an instant impact for Carlo Ancelotti’s side as they went onto the win the Scudetto in his first season at the club, just edging out Roma who finished second.
It was to be Cafu’s only league title in Milan but two years later he reached the Champions League final in Istanbul against Liverpool.
Milan took a 3-0 lead at half time lead but were pegged back after three goals in 15 minutes by the reds. Milan went on to lose on penalties in one of the most iconic games in Champions league history.
Cafu and Brazil fell short of the high expectations placed on the squad in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, as the Seleção exited in the quarterfinals after a 1–0 defeat by France in Frankfurt. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was criticized for featuring fading veterans, most notably the 36-year-old Cafu and 33-year-old Roberto Carlos, in the starting XI in lieu of younger players.
Cafu was one of only a few Brazil players who spoke to the press in the midst of the huge criticism from Brazilian fans and media alike following the team’s early return home.
Although their league form was never good enough to win the championship again, Cafu enjoyed some great European nights with Milan, none more so than in Athens in 2007.
Milan were to face Liverpool again in the final of the Champions League just two years after that night in Istanbul.
Milan got their revenge this time thanks to goals from Andrea Pirlo and Alberto Gilardino as the team won their seventh European Cup.
In Cafu’s last season with the Rossoneri they won the European Super Cup and the World Club Cup. Fittingly in his last ever professional game Cafu scored in Milan’s 4-1 victory over Udinese.
Cafu won all there is to win in Europe and South America, played in some of the most memorable games of all time and played alongside some the best players of his generation. However it will be Cafu’s barnstorming runs from defence which will be what this true football great will be remembered fondly for.
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