Kaká was Messi before Messi.

He was a global icon who was lured to an expansion team of an up-and-coming league in order to promote soccer in that country.

As I wrote when he signed for Orlando City ten years ago, Kaká was a purple-clad Pied Piper on the pitch.

“I knew that MLS had a great future and I wanted to help build something,” Kaká said in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel on Wednesday. “When you see how far this league has come in the ten years since then, I am proud to have been part of that development.”

The fact that Kaká paved the way for an international icon like Lionel Messi to come to MLS is one of the many reasons why Orlando City will honor Kaká after Saturday night's game at Inter&Co Stadium by inducting him into the team's Hall of Fame in the Legends' Terrace.

I don't know if there was a debate about who the first candidate should be, but there shouldn't have been. I suppose they could have considered the team's co-founders Phil Rawlins and Kay Rawlins, or the team's popular first coach Adrian Heath, but Kaká was the obvious and right choice.

“Kaká’s impact on the game will be felt for a very long time, not just here in the beautiful city but throughout the global football landscape,” said Orlando City chairman Mark Wilf.

Translation: Before MLS had Messi-mania, there was Kaká madness.

Like Messi at Inter Miami, Kaká became the highest-paid player in MLS at $7 million a year when he signed with Orlando City, and then helped the league gain legitimacy by adding some weight to an expanding franchise. A World Cup winner for his native Brazil, winner of the European Champions League and FIFA World Player of the Year, Kaká had played for some of the world's most famous franchises – AC Milan, Real Madrid and Sao Paulo.

Suddenly he was among us – in the young football city of Orlando – even though some of his closest confidants had told him not to come.

“I remember a lot of people saying to me, 'No, don't do that. In America, they don't like soccer. They like sports that have a lot of goals and don't end in a draw.' I'm glad I didn't listen to them. I believed we could help promote the sport in this country and spread the good values ​​that come with it.”

And that's exactly what he did. When he landed in Central Florida, he was greeted at Orlando International Airport by a huge crowd and a drum corps. He was a beautiful man playing the beautiful game. With his movie-star looks and huge social media following (he was the first athlete to ever have 10 million Twitter followers), Kaká single-handedly put Orlando City on the international soccer map.

And it started in Orlando City's opening game against New York City FC, when Kaká scored the dramatic equalizer in the final minutes to save a 1-1 draw in front of 62,510 sold-out spectators at the Citrus Bowl.

“I have scored many goals in my career,” Kaká said at the time, “but I have to say this is one of the most emotional.”

Orlando's huge Brazilian population flocked to the stadium to see him play, as did tourists from all over the world. Although the team never made the playoffs in his three seasons, the Lions were among the league's leaders in attendance in all three years.

He attracted a wide range of fans, from diehard soccer fans to curious newcomers to the sport. His name alone drew eyes and attention. He gave Orlando instant credibility and helped turn us into an international soccer destination that now regularly attracts some of the world's most storied clubs to play in front of sold-out crowds at Camping World Stadium.

Kaká became a one-man marketing machine for Orlando City. He sold tickets, he sold jerseys, he sold an entire soccer town in the south the idea that it was cool to be a soccer fan. In the bleak depths of the Magic's decade-long rebuild, Orlando fell in love with Kaká and Orlando City.

We only knew star athletes (like Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard) who wanted to leave Orlando, but Kaká actually wanted to come to Orlando. He wasn't just an athlete, he was a beacon of hope for a city that had been exploited and abused by superstars of the past.

“Most of the clubs I have played for [AC Milan, Real Madrid etc.] “They were hundred-year-old clubs with a lot of history and tradition,” says Kaká today. “Coming to Orlando was exciting for me because it was the first time I had the chance to see how something was built from nothing.”

Even better, he went about his work with style, grace and class. He never did anything to embarrass the club, the fans or his family. He was a man of strong faith and exuded humility and philanthropy. Even though he was a multimillionaire and a global star, he had a connection with Joe and Minnie Sixpack and the other fans.

Who will ever forget the time when Kaká served a one-match suspension after receiving a controversial red card in the previous match? Rather than simply watching the game from the sidelines, he decided to serve the suspension while standing on the wall with Orlando City fans. At one point, he even operated a snare drum and helped lead the drum line.

“I wanted to see and feel what our fans feel during the game and better understand their situation,” Kaká said at the time.

Kaká may have retired seven years ago, but his influence can still be felt in every drumbeat, every chant and every cheer that emanates from the wall. Announcing his retirement, the club's former CEO Alex Leitao said: “Orlando City is a small, small child – 3 years old – and Kaká was always there, helping us to get up and learn to walk. Now we have to somehow learn to do this without him.”

And they have. Since Kaká's retirement, Orlando City has definitely progressed as a franchise, being sold to more financially powerful owners, winning a trophy (the US Open Cup) and reaching the playoffs four seasons in a row.

Nevertheless, there will be a huge feeling of nostalgia when the great Kaká steps onto the Legends' Terrace on Saturday evening.

Yes, Orlando City has learned to walk since Kaká left town, but his footprints will always be there and will forever mark the franchise's path to greatness.

Email me at [email protected], contact me via X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6-9:30am on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen.