Cacau

The Journey

From Santo André
to the World Stage

Born on 27 March 1981 in Santo André, Brazil, into a family living below the poverty line, Claudemir Jerônimo Barreto — known as Cacau — grew up where football was both escape and dream. As a small boy he couldn't pronounce his own first name properly, singing "Cacaudemir" at his birthday party instead of "Claudemir" — and from that day, his mother called him nothing but Cacau.

At 13 he earned a place in Palmeiras' youth academy. Three years later, dropped by a new coach, he was back in Mogi das Cruzes, working as a street vendor and bricklayer's helper to support his mother. His faith carried him through. On 12 July 1999, aged 18, he flew to Munich — invited by missionary Osmar de Oliveira — and began again from the fifth division with Türkgücü München.

What followed was one of football's great migration stories: factory floors to the Bundesliga, small-town amateur to German champion, immigrant boy to World Cup hero. After retiring in October 2016, Cacau earned his CAS Sport Management degree from the University of St. Gallen, then spent eight years pursuing the UEFA Pro Licence — the highest coaching qualification in European football — which he received in 2024.