PARIS-. In his last international tournament with Brazil, Marten return to where it all began.
Named player of the year six times, Marta was just 18 years old at Athens 2004, when she made her first Olympic appearance.
Brazil then played in the gold medal match, but lost to the United States 2-1 in overtime. The two teams met again in the final of the 2008 Beijing Games, but Brazil lost again, this time 1-0, and had to settle for silver once again.
It seems fitting, then, that Brazil will face the United States again in the Olympic final at the Parc des Princes in Paris for its international farewell.
Marta, after six Olympic Games and six Women’s World Cups, has said it is time to hand over the team to the next generation.
At 38, the footballer has never won a major international title, either at the Olympic Games or the World Cup.
So winning gold and beating nemesis the United States at the same time would be a sweet way to say goodbye.
“This has been a big part of my life. I left home when I was 14 and since then I just live for football every day,” she told The Associated Press. “I feel like maybe it’s time to step away a little bit and let the younger players shine.”
Marta is well known to the American team’s players, not only because she is one of the best in the history of the sport, but also because she plays in the United States with the Orlando Pride.
“Marta is definitely the player I looked up to the most growing up. Whenever I watched players’ highlights with my dad, it was always Marta,” said U.S. forward Sophia Smith. “We played against her in the NWSL, we’re very lucky, and to play against her in this game, at this magnitude, is very special. I know she would want us to give her our best game. That’s the highest level of respect you can give someone.”
Better known by her first name, Marta Vieira da Silva has scored a record 119 goals in 184 international appearances for Brazil.
Marta grew up playing street soccer with the boys in Dois Riachos, a town in eastern Brazil about 1,250 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. She was just 17 in 2003 when she appeared at the World Cup held in the United States.
She holds the record for most goals in a World Cup with 17, and has scored 13 in the Olympic Games, just one behind her compatriot Cristiane’s mark.
Marta’s journey in her last major tournament has not been easy. She received a red card for a foul on Spain’s Olga Carmona, earning her a two-match ban from FIFA, meaning she missed the quarter-finals against hosts France and the semi-finals, again, against Spain.
Brazil stunned the Women’s World Cup champions 4-2 in Marseille on Tuesday.
“We did it for her,” said teammate Angelina. “We want to give her a great send-off. It was a dream for me to play with Marta, and now it’s a dream come true.”
