Kaka on the 2008 Time 100 list - why?
The World’s Most Influential People in 2008 - Time 100.
I’m sure one can find many flaws with this list - as opinions go, everyone has one and we all think ours smells of roses. Fair enough, and I’m sure the editorial team at TIME magazine did their due diligence when compiling this list.
But having said that, and keeping in mind that this list was compiled not through public opinion but through the filter of what some people think matters most in the world, who put Kaka on this list?
As a footballer, he is, on form, incomparable and irresistible. As a human being, he leaves a good life and is a role model for football fans and kids everywhere, living proof that football does not equal sex, gambling and drugs.
Good, good, we all get that.
But how is he ‘influential’? He’s listed under the Heroes & Pioneers category, and if you go through the accomplishments of some of his fellow members on the list (Brangelina, Oprah, people working to resolve conflicts in Africa and curing diseases, people who have overcome unsurmountable odds, and people who are shining examples that we can be more than ourselves through our deeds in helping others), you start wondering about Kaka’s nomination. It smacks of a political message - the same message that shone through when Kaka won the World Player of the Year. That award was debatable but to an extent deserved.
This honour (if you choose to call it that) is farcical. Kaka is a great footballer and has my utmost respect. He is not, however, one of the 100 most influential people in this world, nor does he hold a candle to the heroes and pioneers mentioned in his category, not in achievements, not in the obstacles he’s faced and not in the time he’s spent on this planet. Any one of 3 would have provided some ammunition for his case (as his majestic performances in last year’s Champions League did for his World Player of the Year award).
All we know is that he’s publicly religious and an ambassador for the UN. A dozen other footballers tick the last bracket. A dozen other footballers can justifiably lay a claim to being one of the best players in contemporary football. Only one player ticks the first option. Guess who?
- Serie A 07/08 Salaries - Kaka rules the roost
- Gabriele Marcotti’s top 50 footballers
- Barcelona’s 2007/2008 Fixtures (La Liga)
- Real Madrid target Ronaldo, Kaka and Metzelder
- Who Should be Fifa’s 2007 World Player of The Year?
Discussion - 21 Responses
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i think whoever wrote this bullshit story is just a kaka hater. i think he deserves to be on that list.
and that thing about world player of the year, how can u say it was debatable. he was no doubt the best player in 2007. he literally won the champs league 4 milan single-handedly.
this was a real stupid article
while I do think he deserved last year’s award (a lot more than Ronaldo did, btw) it’s true TIME got a little overboard on this one.
It’s true that other footballers are religious, or have humanitarian goals. And it’s true that other players can lay claim to being the best in the world (eg C-Ron, Messi.)
But how many can say both?
daryl - how does religious orientation determine your influence? as far as i remember he was going to be a pastor AFTER he retired
There’s the argument that he is a ‘role model’ for footballers and that’s why he’s on the list, but the thing is, is a role model who has little influence on young footballers really a role model? For Kaka to be a role model on a serious footing, he’d need to be a) far more of a public figure and b) spend more than just a couple of years at the top.
And that’s before we wade into the ‘being religious = being good’ v ‘being non-religious = being bad’ implication of this whole thing.
I have to support daryl’s (comment#3) points above about being one of the best footballers and also being religious and a role-model for youth.
In the age of top footballers going after prostitutes (C.Ronaldo) and night clubs/parties (Ronaldinho), this really is rare. With money comes the temptation, and with it comes the desire to be a rebel.
Even if you were to ignore all this, you should take another thing in:
“…if you go through the accomplishments of some of his fellow members on the list (Brangelina, Oprah, people working to resolve conflicts in Africa and curing diseases, people who have overcome unsurmountable odds….”
Overcome unsurmountable odds. Does it ring any bells in your head, Ahmed? I guess you were too busy bashing Kaka to know what kind of problems he has faced in his earlier years, and why he wears that “I belong to Jesus” shirt.
Aged 18, Kaká underwent a career-threatening spinal fracture in a swimming pool. It could’ve made him paralyzed, and not many expected him to recover. But remarkably, he not only recovered but also started playing football again. That is the reason why he wears that shirt, why he is religious and ideal, why he gives away 1/10th of his income to his local church.
You’d be incredibly religious if you were to pass through something like that, and to be able to walk after that injury is an achievement in itself. I know this because my mother is in a semi-paralyzed state where she cannot walk or move her arms properly or talk fluently, and she prays like I have seen anyone pray before (she’s only aged 40, and it isn’t an age-related illness; furthermore, she didn’t sustain any impact injury like Kaka).
So, how would you consider Kaka’s effort, to be able to play soccer and be the top footballer for over a year, after that injury?
I don’t know if Time considered this while ranking him, but if they did, I salute them.
Yeah, I thought Kaka being on the list was ridiculous as well. The polygamist sect in Texas are incredibly religious and “pioneers” in their decision to cut themselves off from society. They better show up in next year’s list if they’re going to be using the same rule of thumb as this year.
Ahmed - his religious orientation doesn’t determine his influence. And I agree that religion doesn’t necessarily equal goodness.
Kaka is influential for two reasons. 1) He’s extremely famous, extremely well-respected, and 2) He’s using that fame to express a worldview (in this case religion.)
Anyone can wear an “I Belong to Jesus” t-shirt. But only Kaka can wear one and display it to a worldwide television audience in a Champions League final.
Alicia - there’s no comparison with the Texas polygamists. They don’t have the worldwide admiration that Kaka does, so no one is going to listen to them. Which is why Kaka is on the list and they aren’t.
I suppose you could argue that the word ‘influential’ does not carry a value judgment with it, just as Time’s Man Of The Year awards, which have gone to Hitler as well as Gandhi, do not. Over the last year Kaka has been one of the three or four most visible sportspeople in the world, arguably, and the fact that he uses that visibility to advance his own ideas, in a way that Ronaldinho or David Beckham or Roger Federer [?] or Sachin Tendulkar do not, was probably enough to get him on the list.
I would definitely question the ‘heroes’ thing. Being an ideologue is not the same thing as being a hero. But by that yardstick I would probably knock a lot of others on that list off their perch.
Ahmed -
If the list had to include a footballer, who would you rather have?
I disagree with your statement that he isn’t a significant role model for young footballers. Football is truly a world sport & Kaka’s name is known to everyone who follows the game well (which i think is almost 1 billion people). When kids see how successful he is & that he hasn’t compromised any moral principles (that we know of) compared to…oh…lets say C.Ronaldo as a ‘random’ name from memory ;). Who do you think kids would rather emulate? I guess it depends on what their values are doesn’t it? And we all like to think kids the world over are being brought up on good values more often than not.
Also, in terms of your argument about being ‘influential’, isn’t being a good role model for kids around the world influence enough?
Personally i never pay attention to such lists. I remember Henry being on this list last year or the year before. The article on him was written by his good friend Tony Parker & he talked about how great a person & athelete Henry is & what charities Henry was helping out. I remember thinking it was a nice article & then turning to the segment on Iraq & Pakistan which interested me more & had me shaking my head.
So, really when you think about it these lists are only as important as you perceive them to be.
Ahmed - I believe he is under the list “Heroes & Pioneers”. He is a hero to millions around the world. I think that should be enough. Plus he is charitable. Doesnt buy Buggati Veyrons. Doesn’t go out at night with whores. In short a perfect role model.
You wouldn’t be complaining if it were a ManU player.
ps: Just so you know, whilst ManU is the richest club in the world, it also has the highest debt amount.
To be honest i think of all the players who have won the fifa world player of the year to date,kaka was the least deserving,he had 2 good games against united in the champions league and scored an extra time winner against celtic,thts about it,i think he is a one season wonder and will slip back into mediocrity..
@raid..u idiot,time is not listing the top 100 role models..its the top 100 most influential people in the world,as there are 100’s of millionaires who lead a frugal life style and by your logic they should all be on the list..and if u have 50 million dollars..and u spent 50 million on cars,booze and girls and the rest on charity..u are still a charitable,altruistic person..
Time isn’t trying to put together an accurate list of the world’s most influential people. They’re trying to put together a magazine that people will want to buy, and that means 1) making the list provocative, so people like us will give it free publicity by arguing about it, and 2) including a lot of recognizable faces and celebrities. Kaka’s being on the list supports both goals, and that’s the reason he’s on it.
Yes a real role model.He is a evangelical, thinks that the bible is god’s word.So the universe is 6000 years old, everything was created by god and the sun circles the earth. What will happen if children would have that kind of a role model.
I agree with this article wholeheartedly.
[…]There has been some debate about how deserved Kaka’s place on the list is and I can see the arguements against his inclusion. He is not a global celebrity on anywhere near a comparable level to someone such as a David Beckham or even his Brazilian team mate Ronaldinho, neither of whom make the list.[…]
Here is the deal, Kaka is a remarkable role-model to young footballers and football needs more people like him. He is a brilliant player and one to look to in the future.
Agreed.
Yet, WHO OUTSIDE OF EUROPE (AND THE FOOTBALLING WORLD) KNOWS WHO HE IS? He is only well known by people who follow football. I doubt people who are not sports fans respect him all that much. I dont know about about you but to be one of the TOP 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD (YES THE WORLD), I dont believe he quite cuts it.
Before all you Kaka lovers start bashing me know that I am in no way denying his skill, or his religious zeal, or that he is one of the few footballers who takes time out for charity etc.
Sure he does, and he deserves to be lauded for that. But not included in the TOP 100. Not yet anyway, maybe after he retires, or after he stays contesting for the player of the year for the next 5 years. Too early and I completely disagree with his inclusion.
True - this list was not made by polling each US individual for their own top 100 and then publishing the highest common denominators. It is entirely subjective, so why not consider that the word “influential” can be synonymous with “inspirational”. If one person’s words, actions, demeanor, attitude, way of life, relationships, etc., inspire people to be happier or live more positively, then they have been influential. Perhaps Kaka’ doesn’t appear to shift the planet in the same way his list-mates have, but he is an exemplary citizen, athlete, husband, father, teammate, celebrity, model for youth and, a peacemaker in his own right. How rare to be all of these things in life while in the public eye. I applaud his inclusion on this list because I’m thrilled that more people will now know who he is. I can’t imagine that anything but good will come from that acquaintance.
just shut up you…,ohh are you ahmed the dead terrorist???
I agree with Roswitha. The best player of the most popular sport in the world would certainly have the potential to be influential on a global scale. He’s certainly top 100. What he does with that platform is up to him.
And Ahmed, it’s a reward for influence during ONE year. If, for instance, I wrote a song about cheese that became a global hit, I’d be considered one of Time’s Top 100. Cheese advocacy isn’t an inspiring platform, but if it gets people to eat more of it, it’s certainly influential.
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Real madrid fan
Felipe