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Brazilian legend Marta announced retirement from football after settling for a silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. Th e 38-year-old and her Brazilian team suffered a 0-1 loss against the USA Women's team in the gold medal match at the Summer Games.
Marta's Olympics took a disappointing turn when she was sent off in tears for a dangerous tackle in a group-stage defeat by Spain. With the 38-year-old getting a straight red card, the Orlando Pride forward received a two-match ban.
Marta announces retirement from football
Hence Marta missed the games against France and Spain en route to the gold medal match. Then in her farewell appearance, Marta couldn't make an impact as a second-half substitute against Emma Hayes' USA and settled.
Speaking after the result, Marta said, “I don’t think you will see me again at the World Cup. I don’t know what might happen or what the plans of the national team are, but my plans are to keep contributing to the team in some way because this is my life.”
"I am not going to disappear from football. I am going to try to contribute somehow to this generation because they are very talented girls and are well aware of what we can achieve. I have spent more than 20 years doing what I love most, and playing a sport that was not always seen as being for women," she continued.
Marta had an illustrious career where she competed across six Olympics and six Women’s World Cups but could never win a major international title. But she consistently performed for Brazil and became the nation's highest-ever goal scorer with 119 goals in 201 appearances across both men’s and women’s football.
