María Magdalena Arréllaga for NPR Marta enters the field to play in a friendly match against Chile ahead of the World Cup, in Brasília, Brazil, on July 2. this is so the younger girls will have the fruits of their labor,'' she said. But at the same time, for the women, there is the need to say, 'It's not just for me, for my family. 'No one doesn't want to win the World Cup. Legendary midfielder Formiga played in a record seven World Cups, the last in France at age 41.īut sports journalist Belas said this fight for legitimacy and equity gives Brazil's women soccer stars an extra motivation their male counterparts just don't have. 'You have to cry now in order to smile later,' she said, before leaving the field.īrazil's legacy of underinvestment has led to the national team repeatedly calling up its veterans for international play. 'Women's football depends on you for its survival,' she said, urging them to work hard. Tearing up, she stared straight into the camera and began speaking directly to Brazil's young girls, telling them that she and the other pioneers of the game won't be around forever. No more so when she raged on camera after Brazil's disappointing loss to host France at the last World Cup. Marta is most passionate when speaking out about Brazil's paltry investment for younger generations, which she says puts the whole sport in jeopardy. Marta is often seen sporting the company's long-lasting lipstick during matches, drawing praise as well as critics who, like during the 2019 World Cup in France, charged she was flouting FIFA's ' ambush marketing' rules. In one commercial, Marta bounces a soccer ball off her knee while hyping what she says are the seven rules of women's soccer, which include never giving up and playing like a woman. That's especially off the field, where she defies typecasts, like in ads for Avon, the cosmetics company. 'She is not only a talented, brilliant player, the best we've ever had, but also she has been such an important voice in the women's game,' Brazilian sports journalist Júlia Belas Trindade said in an interview with NPR. María Magdalena Arréllaga for NPR Marta and the Brazilian women's soccer team walk around the field greeting fans after a friendly match against Chile ahead of the World Cup, in Brasília, Brazil, on July 2. Within a few years, she was playing in Europe and, at 17, scored those first three World Cup goals on Brazil's national team. She was bullied by many, but she outplayed most.Īt 14, she boarded a bus out of the dusty farm town, Dois Riachos in Alagoas state, for Rio de Janeiro and a chance to join an all-female team. Born seven years after this, Marta grew up playing with boys in the country's impoverished northeast. Brazil did not officially lift its ban against women playing soccer until 1979. And in her lauded humility, she added, it was 'achieved with great teammates, love and affection.' that its athleticism would no longer suffice to continue as the world power, inspiring a greater emphasis on individual skill and creativity,' he said.Īsked recently by Brazil's SporTV what a sixth trip to the World Cup means, Marta said it's the pinnacle of a lifetime's work.

Her Brazilian teams were a wake-up call to the U.S. 'She brought the Brazilian flair that set the standard for world soccer to the women's game. to play, she shook up the game with her brilliance like no other female player before, said Mike Woitalla, executive editor of Soccer America magazine. María Magdalena Arréllaga for NPR Marta plays with the Brazilian women's soccer team in a friendly match against Chile ahead of the World Cup, in Brasília, on July 2. well, she's also Marta, she's brilliant,' Neal said. 'She brought something that we weren't expecting and besides experience.

Neal has missed only one home game since the franchise joined the NWSL seven years ago. She said signing Marta has made the team better.

Orlando ended up losing 2-1 to the Kansas City Current, despite an effortless lob over the Current goalie on a penalty kick by Marta.įan Kate Neal was thrilled, nevertheless. We're really proud of her, that's why we cheer for her,' said 26-year-old Bruna Palma, who was with a big group of Brazilian fans gathered for Marta's last Pride home game before heading to Australia. 'It's really fantastic she came from Brazil and it's hard to get here. She's been playing in Florida since the National Women's Soccer League franchise signed her six years ago. María Magdalena Arréllaga for NPR Fans arrive to cheer on Brazil's national women's soccer team as they enter the field to warm up before a friendly game against Chile ahead of the World Cup, in Brasília on July 2.įans of the team Orlando Pride are well aware of Marta's singular status.

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