By: Jenny Zhou

On August 2, 2023, Marta ended her international soccer career at the Women’s World Cup. At age 17, Marta played in her first World Cup. Now, aged 37, she is done with her last.

On August 2nd, Brazil was eliminated from the FIFA Women’s World Cup while playing against Jamaica, making it their earliest elimination since 1995.

Brazil had hoped to win the Cup for Marta, just as Argentina had done so in December for Lionel Messi. Instead, Jamaica is now headed for the 16th round and Brazil is knocked out for good.

Marta holds the record for the most scored World Cup goals, which is 17, across both men and women’s categories. She was FIFA’s World Player of the year six times, and was also a two-time Olympic silver medalist.

After the poor game, Marta gave a speech, saying that in her worst nightmares she hadn’t dreamed of a World Cup like this one.

“But it’s just the beginning,” she said for the other young players on Brazil’s team. “I’m done here, but they’re still here.”

“I want people in Brazil to continue to have the same enthusiasm they had when the World Cup started. To continue to support. Because things don’t happen overnight.”

Even though this is Marta’s last World Cup, she isn’t retiring from soccer because she plays for the Orlando Pride in the NWSL.

In a press conference on August 1st, Marta reflected on how she and others had helped women’s equality improve.

“When I started playing, I didn’t have an idol, a female idol. You guys didn’t show any female games,” she said in Portuguese. “How was I supposed to see other players? How was I supposed to understand that I could arrive at a national team and become a reference?”

“Today we have our own references,” she said, adding she is often stopped on the streets by parents who say their daughters want to be just like her. “This wouldn’t have happened if we had stopped in the first obstacles that we faced. … And it didn’t start just with me, but with a lot of the women back then.” Women’s equality has greatly improved since the times in the past.

Twenty years ago, in her first World Cup, nobody knew her name. Now, as she says goodbye, everyone does.

Link to article: https://www.npr.org/2023/08/02/1191630255/brazil-women-world-cup-marta-legacy