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The former Brazilian footballer Kaká shelled out 8.7 million dollars last month for a luxury condominium in Bal Harbour, according to the public property records of Miami-Dade reviewed by the Miami Herald.
The unit acquired by the retired midfielder, whose full name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, is located on the 14th floor of the Oceana Bal Harbour building, a 24-story tower with 226 apartments completed in 2016 facing the Atlantic Ocean.
The apartment features three bedrooms and 311 square meters of living space, with balconies facing both east and west that provide simultaneous views of the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay.
The property was listed on the market in January of this year for a price of 9.5 million dollars, so Kaká managed to close the deal with a discount of 800,000 dollars off the asking price.
The previous owner, Gaston Siciliano, had purchased the same unit in 2022 for 6.5 million dollars, reflecting a revaluation of 2.2 million over four years.
In the transaction, Michael Martinez from ONE Sotheby's International Realty and Jennifer Olmeda from WRA Real Estate Solutions LLC represented the seller.
Kaká, 44 years old, is regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history. He began his professional career at São Paulo FC at the age of 18, before shining at AC Milan—where he won the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or in 2007—and later at Real Madrid.
He was part of the Brazilian national team that won the World Cup in 2002, and he also played in the World Cups of 2006 and 2010. He concluded his career in Florida with Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer, retiring in 2017.
The purchase takes place during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada until July 19, with Miami as one of the 16 official host cities of the tournament.
Real estate agents in South Florida had anticipated that the World Cup would trigger a buying frenzy in the luxury market, although the actual impact turned out to be more moderate than expected.
Kaká is not the first soccer star to invest in the Miami-Dade real estate market. Earlier this year, his teammate in the 2002 world title, Ronaldo Nazário, purchased a penthouse in Bay Harbor Islands for around eight million dollars.
Lionel Messi, a prominent figure of Inter Miami, purchased a mansion in 2023 in the Bay Colony neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale for $10.8 million, while the president and co-owner of the club, David Beckham, owns an oceanfront mansion worth $80 million on North Bay Road, Miami Beach.
The trend establishes South Florida as a preferred real estate investment destination for major figures in world football, drawn by a market that has continued to appreciate in value in recent years.
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