Happy birthday, CAFU!

Tweet

Marcos Evangelista de Moraes (born June 7, 1970 in São Paulo), better known as Cafu, is a Brazilian footballer, currently a defender for Italian club A.C. Milan. Brazilian player of all time with 142, including a record 21 World Cup finals appearances. He won two World Cups in 1994 and 2002, and is the first player to participate in four consecutive tournaments, as well as three consecutive WC final matches. He earned his first cap in a friendly against Spain on September 12, 1990, and played sparingly for Brazil in the early 90s, making the 1994 FIFA World Cup roster as a substitute. He appeared in the final against Italy, following an injury to Jorginho in the 22nd minute. After that, Cafu was soon a regular in the starting eleven as Brazil won the Copa América in 1997 and 1999, and reached the 1998 FIFA World Cup final. Brazil endured a rocky qualification for the 2002 tournament, 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 replacement Luiz Felipe Scolari made Emerson his new choice for captain. However, Emerson missed the cut after he dislocated his shoulder in training, which allowed Cafu to regain the armband. After Brazil defeated Germany 2-0 in the final match, he stood on the victory podium during the postmatch celebration and, as he raised the trophy, shouted to his wife, "Regina, eu te amo!" ("Regina, I love you!"). Unfortunately, Cafu and Brazil fell short of high expectations placed on the squad four years later in 2006, as the Seleção meekly exited in the quarterfinals after a 1-0 defeat by France. 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 eleven in lieu of younger players. Cafu was one of only a few Brazil players who spoke to the press in the midst of a hailstorm of criticism from Brazilian fans and media alike following the team's return home. He nonetheless has expressed interest in participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when he will be 40 years old. However, he has yet to be capped again since current coach Dunga took over for Parreira in July 2006. Cafu was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.