Marta Vieira da Silva is one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Beginning in her home nation of Brazil, she has played all over the world. After a brief stint in the US in 2010 and 2011, Marta returned to the US in 2017 after spending six years in Sweden. Despite being known as "Pelé with skirts", Marta's play almost defies comparison. She's tenacious, fast, and views the field of play like no one else. It's not an exaggeration to say that no one plays soccer quite like Marta.
On the international stage, Marta has represented Brazil since 2002. She has 115 goals in 174 games and at the time of writing, serves as Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer for the women's national team. She has played at every World Cup since 2003, also serving as the all-time goalscorer for the competition. However, she has never won the tournament. The closest Brazil has come was a second-place finish in 2007. Now, it appears that Marta is giving herself one last chance to win it.
Marta Confirms International Retirement
Speaking with local media in Brazil on July 3, Marta confirmed that the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand would be her last. "Yes, it will be my last World Cup. We have to understand that a time comes for us to prioritize other things. I just have to be thankful to have lived all those years in the national team. To have the opportunity to go to another World Cup, a sixth one, for me is something surreal."
Brazil enter as the #8 nation in the world and will be looking to bounce back from back-to-back Round of 16 exits in 2015 and 2019. They should have a fairly easy time in the group stage. The biggest threat will be France (ranked #5 in the world). Elsewhere in the group, they will face a Jamaican team that is currently fighting its national federation. Furthermore, they will take on Panama. However, winning the group will be vital if they want to avoid a likely Round of 16 matchup against Germany. Regardless, the team is likely to do what they can make Marta's final tournament the best of her career.
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