Brazilian Soccer Player Marta Gave A Moving Speech About Representation In Women’s Sports At Her Final World Cup
“When I started playing, I didn’t have an idol, a woman idol.”
One of soccer’s most decorated and distinguished players, Marta Vieira da Silva, gave an emotional farewell speech after Brazil was unable to advance out of the Group Stages during the 2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup.
This is the sixth and final World Cup tournament appearance for the Brazilian soccer star, known mononymously as Marta, who is widely considered one of the greatest women’s soccer players of all time.
In a press conference after the team’s 0-0 tie against Jamaica, Marta gave an emotional speech about her legacy and the strides women have made not just in soccer but across all avenues.
“Do you know what’s cool? When I started playing, I didn’t have an idol, a woman idol. You guys didn’t show any women games,” she said. “Today, when we go out on the street, people stop. The parents stop and say, ‘oh, my daughter loves you. She wants to be just like you.’ And it’s not just Marta, it’s other athletes as well. So today we have our own references. This wouldn’t have happened if we had stopped in the first obstacles we faced.”
At 37, Marta not only holds the all-time highest World Cup scoring record for women or men – 17 goals – she is also Brazil’s all-time record scorer, women or men, with 115 goals, as well as a two-time Olympic silver medalist.
Named FIFA’s World Player of the Year six times, she has participated in the World Cup for over three decades, making her first appearance in 2003 at just 17 years old.
Despite Brazil’s unexpected and earliest ever exit from the tournament, Marta urged people to keep watching and showing up for women’s soccer.
“I want people in Brazil to continue to have the same enthusiasm they had when the World Cup started. To continue to support. Because things don’t happen overnight,” she said.
Marta’s impact on the sport cannot be overlooked.
Her star power and significant achievements helped advanced the sport, leading to more investment and resources in her home country.
“I’m very happy with all that has been happening in women’s football in Brazil and in the world. Keep supporting,” she said with tears glazing her eyes. “Because for them, it’s just the beginning. For me, it’s the end of the line now.”
