Marta is honored by FIFA and talks about playing in Paris-2024 – 01/15/2024 – Sport

Brazilian player Marta, 37, was honored this Monday (15) during the FIFA (International Football Federation) The Best awards ceremony, which chooses the best players of the season. And she was willing to compete in another edition of the Olympic Games.

She was the first athlete, both men and women, to receive an honor of this type from FIFA while still active. The highest football entity also announced that the Brazilian player will name the award that will be given to the scorer of the most beautiful goal in women’s football — until this year, women competed with men.

“It’s always difficult to stand on this stage and not get emotional,” said Marta, trying unsuccessfully to hold back the tears. Pelé’s widow, Márcia Aoki, was present on stage and presented a trophy in honor of Marta for her contribution to football.

A series of images of the player at the beginning of her career and defending the Brazilian team were reproduced on the screen, in part of the ceremony dedicated to women’s football — the awards in all 11 categories were presented by women.

It was up to Marta herself to hand over the trophy to Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmatí, elected the best player of the 2022/23 season.

“What we strive for every day is to make the world better for everyone, without distinction, to seek equality and respect,” said Marta.

She added that the honor is motivation to continue seeking to evolve. “We’re in the year of the Olympics. Who knows, maybe we’ll play another one?”, said the player, referring to the Paris Games, between July and August.

Defending the Orlando Pride, from the United States, since 2017, she was elected the best in the world by FIFA six times — in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2018. She is the woman who has won the award the most times. Former German player Birgit Prinz is the second biggest winner, with three consecutive victories, between 2003 and 2005.

For the Brazilian team, Marta is a three-time Copa América champion (2003, 2010 and 2018) and two-time Pan-American Games champion (2003 and 2007). At the 2004 Olympic Games, in Athens, and 2008, in Beijing, the player won silver with the Brazilian team.

She also finished runner-up in the World Cup in 2007. The Alagoas native from the small town of Dois Riachos is the top scorer in the World Cup, both men and women, with 17 goals in five appearances since 2003. Next comes the German Miroslav Klose, with 16 goals

In an interview on the red carpet before the event, held in London, the best Brazilian player in history did not rule out a return to football in the country.

“I never ruled out this possibility,” said Marta, who played for Vasco da Gama and Santa Cruz at the beginning of her career, in the mid-2000s. She also played for Santos, with whom she won the Copa Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil, in 2009.

“Women’s football has been growing a lot”, added the star, who mentioned the record attendance at a women’s football game in Brazil in 2023, in the final of the Brazilian Championship between Corinthians and Ferroviária, accompanied by around 42 thousand fans on Neo Arena Chemistry. “It’s very gratifying to see that we are moving forward, reaping fruits”, said the player.