Kaka played in a village tournament in China with his close friend Stephen Chow and was given a chicken.

A grassroots football tournament known as "Super Village" in China caused a stir when it invited Kaka to participate. The former Ballon d'Or winner participated in a charity match in Guizhou province and participated in some sideline activities.

Kaka plays in the village tournament

“I had to come very early to get a seat to watch this match! I had a super nice seat to see him,” Shi Lei, a resident of Dong Giang district, shared at the stadium yesterday, not forgetting to “show off” to the reporters present more than 100 photos and videos he took of his childhood idol. Among them, there was not a single photo that did not include Ricardo Kaka – the Brazilian football legend.

On the evening of May 27, a charity football match called “Dream Chasing” was held. This was a friendly match, part of the annual “Super Village” tournament in Dongjiang County, Guizhou Province.

Kaka was a special guest at the match between Dream Chasing and Champion Partner. The Brazilian legend was chosen as the coach and captain of Champion Partner. Kaka's team was facing a team of Chinese "super amateurs", led by actor Chan Pak-xiang - a long-time co-star of Stephen Chow.

The charity match brought together a star-studded cast with many veterans of the Chinese national team such as Gao Lin and Feng Xiaoting. Olympic weightlifting champion Lu Xiaojun and two-time Olympic gold medalist in diving Lin Yue were given special permission to compete for... both teams.

The center of attention naturally belonged to Kaka. With every touch of the ball, Kaka made the Guizhou audience excited. In the 36th minute of the friendly match, Kaka received a pass from his teammate before finishing the goal. Joining in the festive atmosphere, the "Prince of San Siro" celebrated by raising both hands to the sky, just like his peak days when he played at AC Milan.

“Coming to the tournament, feeling the excitement of the place, no one doesn’t want to give their all on the field,” Kaka shared. The Brazilian legend said that the Village Championship was a great experience because he got to experience Chinese culture and immerse himself in the football atmosphere.

After the friendly match ended, the 2002 World Cup champion received a special gift from the local people: a Tashi sheep and a chicken – the prizes for the winners of the charity match. Holding the village-style prize in his hands, Kaka could not hide the smile on his lips.

How big is China's village tournament?

On May 13, 2023, the “Super Village” tournament officially kicked off, where 20 football teams from Dongjiang Village, Guizhou competed to find the champion. Since then, the novel sporting event has attracted a wide range of audiences, from Chinese citizens to tourists. In 2023, Michael Owen – the winner of the 2001 World Golden Ball – sent a video to congratulate the tournament on its success.

During the “Super Village” period, Dong Giang village recorded millions of tourists, a large number of whom were foreigners. With rapid development, Super Village has the ambition to build a non-governmental organization to facilitate promotion and information exchange with foreign partners.

The heat of the Super Village attracted youth teams from France and Liberia to compete directly in Guizhou. In Africa, some countries such as Benin and South Africa have begun to follow the semi-professional tournament model similar to the "Super Village", thereby finding young talents who can step into the international football environment.

Audiences in Guizhou believe that Kaka's presence represents the expansion of relationships, connecting friends from all over the world.

“Now, football in the place where I live has reached international level. Everything is possible with Super Village. I am enjoying my life, going to work during the week and going to the stadium on the weekends to watch football,” Mr. Shi Lei shared.

International friends are surprised by the passionate love of football, which originated from a small district in China. As for the people of Dongjiang, Guizhou, they cherish every moment of living, integrating, and breathing the proud football atmosphere right in their hometown.