Cafu

Marcos Evangelista de Moraes (born June 7, 1970 in São Paulo), better known as Cafu, is a two-time FIFA World Cup winning Brazilian footballer. Cafu is the correct spelling of his name (as opposed to Cafú). He was given this nickname due to his speed up and down the right flank which was reminiscent of Cafuringa, a legendary Brazilian forward from the 1970s. Cafu was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. He is best known for his tireless overlapping runs.

One of six children, Cafu was raised in the Jardim Irene favela of São Paulo. He was an average student as he soon discovered his love for football and preferred playing over studying. At the tender age of seven, he was able to attend a football academy and soon moved up to the junior sides of Nacional, Portuguesa, and Itaquaquecetuba AC. He also played futsal for two years.

In the early 1980s, he couldn't get his foot in the door as he was rejected from the youth squads of Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, Atlético Mineiro, and even Portuguesa. It wasn't until 1988 that he made the youth squad of hometown club São Paulo FC, and subsequently won the Copa São Paulo youth tournament that year, but he warmed the bench the next season as São Paulo won the 1989 Campeonato Paulista.