Orlando Pride and Brazil women’s national team superstar, Marta Vieira da Silva, commonly known as Marta, has currently won 133 caps for Brazil and has scored 110 goals for her country.
Marta is currently the Brazil women’s national team all-time leading goalscorer. Pelé presently remains as Brazil men’s national team all-time leading goalscorer with 77 goals in 91 games; an 0.84 percent goals per game ratio in an illustrious 14-year international career with the Selecáo which witnessed three FIFA World Cup triumphs.
However, Marta’s international strike rate for Brazil women’s national team currently stands at 0.82 goals per game on average throughout a dominant 16-year international career. Marta debuted for Brazil’s women’s national team aged 17 and made her club debut aged 14 for Brazilian powerhouse Vasco da Gama.
The talented 32-year-old Dios Riachos-born superstar is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and an inspiration for women universally in Brazil who long to escape the poverty-stricken slums and exceedingly dull favelas.
Marta’s brilliance, both on and off the field, has empowered women in Brazil and inspired a generation unceremoniously entrenched in problematically deep national political dogma and rising crime post-Dilma Rouseff Brazil. El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala are amongst leaders in the highest rates for intentional homicide in the entire world.
However, amongst her many glowing accolades, Marta is a five-time FIFA World Player of the Year, four-time FIFA World Player of the Year runner-up, as well as a Copa Libertadores de Fútbol Femenino Golden Ball winner, coupled alongside being named in Sports Illustrated’s Top 20 Female Athletes of the Decade. The decorated Brazilian is also a FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Ball winner.
Marta, however, has been eluded throughout her illustrious career with regards to claiming the holy grail of the women’s game – the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Brazil women’s national team are currently ranked seventh in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Rankings. The top five FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Rankings at present in respective order are United States, Germany, France, England and Canada
Marta presently stands as the all-time leading goal scorer at FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.
Furthermore, Marta is often regarded as the greatest female player of all-time. Brazil national treasure and three-time FIFA World Cup winner, Pelé, dubbed Marta “Pele with skirts”.
At club level with Orlando Pride, Marta has scored 17 goals in 38 appearances. Orlando Pride competes in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and plays at home inside the 25,000 capacity Orlando City Stadium.
The influential samba contingent at Orlando Pride is very rich and ever-present. Marta’s Brazilian compatriot’s, Camila, Poliana, and Mónica, have all been pivotal at the club, as well as Orlando Pride’s majority owner, Flávio Augusto da Silva.
Last season, Marta’s Orlando Pride finished 3rd in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and reached the NWSL Semi-Finals.
Elsewhere, Marta’s Brazil have officially qualified for next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 tournament. Outside of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 hosts France, China, Thailand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Chile, Spain, and Italy have also qualified for FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.
FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 kicks off on June 7, 2019, with the final hosted inside the atmospheric 59,186 capacity Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Other major venues for next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 tournament includes Parc De Princes, Allianz Riviera, Stade de la Mosson, Roazhon Park, Stade Océane, Stade du Hainaut, Stade Auguste-Delaune and Stade des Alpes.
Next summer in France could potentially be the greatest opportunity to exorcize Marta’s heartbreak of previous missed opportunities with the Brazil women’s national team with triumphant glory at next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.
Moreover, the optimistic Brazilian fans are vastly demanding and passionate. The overall expectations of winning, notably a tournament such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup next summer remains perennially high.
The Brazil women’s national team has in recent memory been outmatched by the likes of the United States, Germany, France, England, Canada, Australia, and Japan.
However, the question remains: Can Marta inspire Brazil to glory at FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019?