8 World Class Footballers (Who Were Useless By 30)

8. Kaka

It's a little harsh to brand Orlando City's Kaka with the "useless" tag - up until a year ago, the attacking midfielder was still a regular feature in Brazil get-togethers - but when you consider how stark the contrast between his time in Milan, and an injury-ravaged four years in the colours of Real Madrid, it's difficult not to reach that conclusion.

The then-27-year-old headed to the Bernebeu - alongside fellow recruits Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema - in the summer of 2009, tasked with helping the Spanish giants to overthrow Barcelona, whose own cast of football superstars had just conquered Europe under Pep Guardiola.

But Kaka never managed to put together a run of games, and by aged 30, it was clear Real's €70m outlay - however prudent a deal at the time - had ultimately gone to waste. The former Serie A star remains the last player not named Messi or Ronaldo to capture the Ballon d'Or, though, and his legacy isn't likely to suffer as a result.