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#3 Kaka - AC Milan, São Paulo
Ricardo Kaka is one of the best footballers Brazil has ever produced, and no fan who has had the privilege of seeing him on the pitch would tell you otherwise. He had finesse, charm, poise and precision, and, on his day, he had the quality to break any defense single-handedly.
In 2007, Kaka won the Ballon d’Or during his fourth season with AC Milan, becoming the only player to beat both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the home stretch. He kept up his fine form in 2008, as well, which won him a move to Real Madrid in 2009. Injuries and tussles with coach Jose Mourinho reportedly made the 2002 FIFA World Cup winner’s life miserable. He eventually returned home to Milan as a free agent in 2013.
He spent a year at the club in his second stint, scoring 9 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions. After Milan failed to qualify for European competitions, Kaka signed for future MLS side Orlando City in 2014.
Notably, until Orlando City officially entered the MLS, Kaka was loaned out to his very first club - São Paulo. The temporary move saw him return to not just one, but two of his former clubs during the course of his career. He scored 3 goals in 24 appearances across competitions for the Brazilian side before eventually moving to Orlando in 2015.
#2 Diego Maradona - Boca Juniors
Words are not enough to describe the genius of Diego Maradona. He was an outright sensation with the ball at his feet and had the quality to score the most ridiculous of goals. He had the capability to turn any game on its head on his own, and Boca Juniors were more than happy to have their world champion back.
Granted, Maradona’s best days in club football came for Napoli, but he was still a capable performer for Boca Juniors. During his first spell, in 1981, he scored 28 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions. In his second spell, he spent three seasons at the club, scoring 7 goals in 31 appearances. The World Cup hero did not have the best of runs during his return, but his status as an icon certainly cannot come into question.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United
Man of the hour Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest icon to re-sign for a former club, and deservedly so. Manchester United signed Ronaldo from Sporting CP in 2003 for a reported fee of €14.27 million, which made him the most expensive teenager in English football history at the time.
Over the course of the next six years, he more than justified the amount the Red Devils paid for him. He went on to help Manchester United to three Premier League titles and the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League trophy, amongst other titles.
After bagging his first Ballon d’Or in 2008, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, becoming the most expensive player in the club's history. His insane goalscoring, explosive pace, and leadership helped Real Madrid to two La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues in 9 years. Ronaldo won four more Ballons d’Or during his time with Real Madrid. His spell with Juventus — between 2018 and 2021 — was not the best, but Ronaldo still managed to make his mark, scoring over 100 goals in the short time span.
Now confirmed to return to Old Trafford, Ronaldo will look to end his illustrious career in the best possible manner. Helping Manchester United to their first Premier League trophy in nine years will only further bolster his position as one of the greatest icons the world of football has ever seen.
