Global football icon Marta has reflected on the growth of women’s football in a press conference marking the end of her 20-year career as one of the sport’s all-time best players.
The 37-year-old from Brazil, who is the all-time leading goal-scorer in World Cups – men’s or women’s – told reporters about how far the game has come for women over the 20 years she’s been in the spotlight.
“Do you know what’s cool, when I started playing, I didn’t have an idol – a female idol – you guys didn’t show any female games,” Marta said.
“How was I supposed to see other players? How was I supposed to understand that I could arrive at a national team and become a reference point?”
“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’.”
“Today we have our own references. This wouldn’t have happened if we had stopped in the first obstacles that we faced. So it’s a continuous persistency and it didn’t just start just with me, but with a lot of the women back then. But we are all very proud and ask for this generation to continue to do that, to inspire more girls and more boys.”
“I am very happy to see all this now because 20 years ago, in 2003, nobody knew Marta – it was my first World Cup. Twenty years later we have become the reference for women all over the world.”
Marta’s statement on Wednesday came as her team, Brazil, was knocked out of the World Cup after Jamiaca hung on for a 0-0 draw. Brazil had needed to win the match to progress to the Round of 16.
Marta has scored 17 goals across World Cups since she debuted in 2003 and her influence on the sport has been widespread over two decades.