Marta's World Cup career ends after Brazil draw
Written by I Dig SportsMELBOURNE, Australia -- Marta's legendary Women's World Cup career has come to an end after Brazil were eliminated from the 2023 iteration by Jamaica on Wednesday night via a scoreless draw.
Starting her first game for Brazil at this tournament, the attacker proved no more able than her teammates in finding a way through a stubborn and committed Jamaican defence at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, before being substituted in the 81st minute.
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The eventual 0-0 draw that resulted sees the Reggae Girlz advance from Group F alongside France and condemning Brazil to their first group stage exit since 1995.
At full-time, she watched on from the dugout as Jamaica stormed the field, celebrating their own historic achievement of advancing to the round of 16.
The 37-year-old had told Brazilian media prior to the departing for Australia that though she wasn't retiring from football, this would be her sixth and final tournament, the living legend declaring that "We have to understand that a time comes for us to prioritise other things."
She made her first appearance on the world's biggest stage back in 2003, bursting onto the scene as a 17-year-old by scoring three goals as Brazil advanced to the quarterfinals.
Four years later she scored seven goals and was named player of the tournament in leading her nation all the way to the final, only to fall to 2-0 Germany in that decider.
That would prove the closest the attacker would ever come to lifting a World Cup, however, with three Copa America titles and two Olympic silver medals the highest points she has reached with the Seleção.
Though unable to add to the tally in Australia and New Zealand and, thusly, missing out on becoming the first-ever player to score in six World Cups, she is also Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 117 goals.
She was named FIFA World Player of the Year six times and became widely acknowledged as one of it not the greatest women's player of all time. Off the pitch, her profile transcended the game at a time when women's football largely existed in the shadows - for a generation, Marta was women's football.
"I knew that she was big, she's a famous player," Brazil coach Pia Sundhage had said ahead of Monday evening. "[But I] couldn't even imagine how big she is in Brazil.
"I get very emotional just being around such a good player. Not only what she's gonna do tomorrow, but what she's done for so many years and been a fantastic role model."