But for the 38-year-old, who has won the World Player of the Year award six times, it is finally time to go.
Marta, who has previously stated that she will retire from international football at the end of 2024, will participate in the Olympic Games for the sixth and final time when she leads the Brazilian women at the Summer Games scheduled to be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11.
“I did my duty to the national team, you know? I feel very relieved to leave because when I look around I see good players, young players, who are capable of carrying the flag and continuing to represent Brazil well,” Marta said regarding the approaching end of her career with the Brazilian national team.
“It’s been a big part of my life, since I was 14, I left home and I lived football. I feel like maybe it’s time to step away from that a little bit and let the young players shine,” she added.
Marta’s gold medal at the Paris Olympics would be the perfect way to cap an international career that has spanned more than 20 years, and her teammates know it.
“I feel like every time I step on the pitch and play alongside Marta, I have a lot of responsibility,” said Brazil defender Rafaela. “She’s a great player and we have to play for her now. She’s been my idol since I was a child. So playing with her now is a dream for me.”
Known only by her first name, Marta Vieira da Silva has scored a record 118 goals in 183 caps for Brazil. In addition to appearing in six Olympic Games, she has also played in six Women’s World Cups.
Marta holds the record for most World Cup goals with 17, and has 13 Olympic goals, one goal away from equaling the record of her Brazilian compatriot Cristiane.
Marta grew up playing street football with boys in Dois Riachos, a town in eastern Brazil regarding 2,011 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro.
Marta was only 17 years old when she participated in the 2003 World Cup, which was held in the United States.
Over time, Marta’s role with Brazil has changed, and in recent years she has become more of a coach than a player, mentoring the team’s rising stars.
Source: Agencies
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2024-07-20 15:25:56
