Brazil legend Marta, who will be playing at her sixth World Cup this year, has confirmed the tournament will be her last as the 37-year-old looks to prioritize other things in life.
Last week, Marta was included in coach Pia Sundhage’s squad for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, where Brazil are in Group F with Panama, France and Jamaica.
Marta has been a long-time member of the national team, making her first appearance at the 2003 World Cup in the United States as a 17-year-old. She scored three goals during that tournament as Brazil reached the quarter-finals.
The six-time FIFA World Player of the Year holds the record for the most goals at the World Cup – men’s or women’s – with 17 goals.
“Yes, it will be my last World Cup,” Marta told the local media in Brasilia on Monday, according to the Associated Press. “We have to understand that a time comes for us to prioritize other things.
“I can only be thankful to have lived all those years in the national team. Having the chance of going to another World Cup, my sixth, is surreal to me.”
Limited Role
At the 2019 World Cup in France, Marta became the first player to score in five different editions of the World Cup before Canada’s Christine Sinclair matched that record later in the tournament, and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo did the same at the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year.
Marta’s odds of setting a new record this time around will depend on how Sundhage uses her, having previously said that her game time would be limited as she continues to recover from a left knee injury.
Asked about her chances of being included in the starting line-up, Marta told FIFA: “I haven’t talked to Pia because I’ve never spoken with any coach about starting.
“Today I have the notion that I am not the Marta of 20 years ago. But the greatest happiness is seeing that, regardless of whether I’m on the pitch or not, we have players who will represent our country well.”
Longevity
Marta has been an influential figure in women’s soccer – especially in Brazil.
Along with Cristiane and Formiga, Marta changed the face of the women’s game in Brazil, where soccer is the most popular sport and a prominent part of the country’s national identity.
While Brazil has won a record five times at the men’s World Cup, their female counterparts are yet to achieve that.
The women’s team came closest to winning in 2007 in China, where they finished runners-up after losing to Germany in the final. Marta won the Golden Boot during that tournament for her seven goals.
Such is her quality that the veteran remains a key part of the squad even today as she gears up for her final World Cup campaign.
Asked how she has sustained her longevity, Marta said: “It’s the work of a lifetime, how dedicated we are to keeping ourselves at a high level.
“It’s very difficult to reach the top, and to stay up there is even more difficult. But when you work with love and affection, it makes the job much easier. I am very happy to play at my sixth World Cup. I would never have achieved this alone.”
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