Brazil rocked up in Berlin as defending world champions but failed to set the tournament alight, squeezing past Croatia by the narrowest of margins.
There was something special about the only goal of the game though, and it had an AC Milan stamp all over it.
It was right-back Cafu, who played 166 times for the Rossoneri after more than 200 games for Roma, who fed the ball into Kaka and he picked his spot before curling the ball home from 25 yards.
When asked by football magazine FourFourTwo years later what his favourite goal for his country was, Kaka named that strike and his solo effort in a friendly against Argentina.
Goalkeeper Dida, the third Milan player in the Brazil starting XI that evening in the German capital, did his bit with a few stops to keep Croatia out.
Kaka pulled on the Milan shirt more than 300 times and long after retiring from a career that started at Sao Paulo and included spells at Real Madrid and Orlando City, he spoke fondly of his San Siro days, often calling the famous old stadium and the city itself a home from home.
He told FourFour Two: “I always find it an emotional experience to play in Milan. I was a part of the history of that club. The fans are incredible and always showed me a lot of love.”
It was at Milan’s Piazza del Duomo that Kaka celebrated with supporters after his 2007 Ballon d’Or win and the famous square with its cathedral, much like San Siro, is a must-visit. Read our city guide for what else to see and do.
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