She was the first great star of women’s football and has just said goodbye to her sixth and last World Cup. Marta Vieira da Silva (1986, Brazil) was unable to expand her legend even further after more than 20 years in the elite after the ‘canarinha’ was eliminated from the Australia and New Zealand event by drawing against Jamaica, who agreed with France to the round of 16, a historic milestone for a team that did not exist in 2008 and was revived by Cedella Marley, daughter of the famous reggae icon.
The ‘Reggea Girlz’ fired the top scorer of all time in a World Cup (17) -male or female- in the cruelest way and with their defensive wall (0-0) they prevented the queen who treasures six Ballon d’Ors was the first to score a goal in six World Cup tournaments. She was already a pioneer in scoring in five World Cups back in 2019, at the World Cup in France. Three years later, in 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo matched it by being the first male soccer player to score in five different World Cups.
The talent of the number 10, recovered after an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament that occurred last year, was not enough. «Marta ends here. I finish, but they continue. Support women’s football in Brazil and in the world.” These were the painful words of the Brazilian legend, who, at 37, had accepted a secondary role in this championship. “You know what’s cool? When I started playing I didn’t have a female idol. You did not show women’s soccer. How was he supposed to see them? How was I going to imagine that I could make it to the national team, become what I am, a reference? Today we go out into the street and people stop us to talk, they tell us ‘my daughter adores you, she wants to be like you’. And not only with Marta, with other players as well, “explained the athlete at a press conference in which she was on the verge of tears.
The Orlando Pride forward lived her golden age in the second half of the first decade of the 20th century, becoming selected by FIFA as the best in the world in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. She was the first benchmark for many of the current great stars of the world of women’s football, including the Spanish and current Ballon d’Or winner, Alexia Putellas. “Now we have our own references. This would not have happened if we stopped at the first obstacles. So it’s a struggle that continues, that didn’t start just with me, that started with many people long ago. That is why we are very proud. People ask us that our generation continue to do so, inspiring more and more young people. Age doesn’t matter,” continued the Brazilian legend.
The round of 16 will not be reached by Italy either because of a goal in added time by the South African Thembi Kgatlana. The African team will meet in the round of 16 against the Netherlands, current runner-up in the world, while Sweden, leader of that Group G, will do so against the United States. The Swedes, who were already first in the group, prevailed 2-0 (Rebecka Blomqvist and Elin Rubensson) against an Argentina that has yet to win a match in a World Cup.
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