Brazil soccer star Marta to play in sixth Olympics at Paris Games
In April, Marta told CNN Brasil that she plans to retire from international soccer at the end of the year but will have one more chance to claim an Olympic gold medal for her country.
The 38-year-old has won two silver medals in 2004 and 2008, losing the final to the US women’s team on both occasions.
Marta currently plays club soccer in the US for the Orlando Pride, which is battling the KC Current at the top of the NWSL this season.
“She brings a lot to the table, she’s the greatest athlete of all time,” Brazil’s coach Arthur Elias said, per Reuters. “She’s playing well, she deserved to be on this list.
“Marta’s performance, especially after she came back to play for her club, which is fighting for the top spot in the US, her behavior, with or without the ball, makes all the athletes see her as an example.
“I have the challenge of finding a way of playing to maximize her game. But she knows that you can only win with everyone.”
Marta is Brazil’s all-time record goalscorer, male or female, and has appeared in six World Cups.
In Tokyo 2020, she made history by becoming the first player to score in five straight Olympics. She will have the chance to extend that record in Paris.
Brazil will face Nigeria in its opening match of the Paris Games on July 25 in Bordeaux, before playing Japan and Spain in its remaining Group C matches.
Marta's retirement from international soccer at the end of the year might not affect her love for the sport, as she continues to excel in club football with the Orlando Pride. Despite losing two Olympic finals to the US women’s team in the past, Marta remains hopeful for a potential gold medal in the Paris Games.
