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Marta Vieira da Silva: The Brazilian Fútbol Star Claiming the G.O.A.T. Throne
Brazil has a long and decorated soccer history, and, although men like Pelé, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho get all the glory, it’s time to recognize there might be someone else with claim to the G.O.A.T throne.
Marta Vieira da Silva (or simply Marta) has quietly and consistently built a legacy that most athletes can only dream of.
Born in 1986 in Dois Riachos, near Alagoas, Marta began playing soccer at a young age. She learned how to play the game from her two brothers, and, after showing a penchant for the sport, she was discovered by Brazilian club Vasco da Gama at 14.
“There were many obstacles, my mother raised all her children by herself and couldn’t afford football boots for me,” she told goal.com in 2019. “But I’ve never lost the drive to win, to pursue my dreams.”
Dubbed “Pelé in skirts” by the man himself, and often referred to as the best female soccer player ever, Marta built an international resume that will probably never be matched.
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She is a six-time FIFA World Player of the Year (including five consecutive years from 2006-10), the all-time World Cup leading goal scorer (male or female) with 17 in five World Cups, and the all-time top international goal scorer (male or female) with 115 goals.
The late Kobe Bryant had nothing but praise upon meeting her in 2009.
“What she does is phenomenal. It’s incredible. Marta’s gifted, man. The things that she does on the pitch, I’ve just never seen anybody do, male or female,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
Although she has been a member of multiple World Cup and Olympic squads, she has never won either.
After bowing out of the 2019 World Cup, Marta gave an impassioned post-game speech that has become the stuff of legend.
“It’s wanting more. It’s training more. It’s taking care of yourself more,” she said as she stared straight into the camera. “It’s being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls. There’s not going to be a Formiga (fellow footballer) forever. There’s not going to be a Marta forever. There’s not going to be a Christiane. the women’s game depends on you to survive. So think about that. Value it more. Cry in the beginning so you can smile in the end.”
While she hasn’t won the ultimate prize, Marta is very cognizant of the fact that her true purpose has been to grow and bring legitimacy to the women’s game.
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“I believe I have a very important mission, which is to represent women’s football,” she told goal. “We’ve been working for that, though that’s just not because of me, but every teammate I’ve had for the Selecao and at club level, and all the people who have left a mark on my career. And I embrace that mission now, committed to showing the younger players just how important it is to represent Brazil.”
Marta is engaged to Orlando Pride teammate Toni Pressley, and they have been dating for several years.
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