BRAZIL LEGEND AND ALL-TIME WORLD CUP GOALSCORER MARTA ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL DUTY

Footballing legend and Brazil international Marta said she will retire from international football this year calling an end on a glittering 22-year career on the world stage.

The 38-year-old striker, affectionately known as "Queen Marta" is one of the most well-known women's footballers in the world and is regarded in some circles as the greatest women's footballer to ever play the game.

The records vaunted by the Brazilian No 10 are many and renowned. Marta currently holds the record for the most goals scored at the World Cup, men's or women's, having scored a staggering 17 goals across 23 appearances in six editions of the tournament, reaching the final in 2007 but losing to Germany 2-0 in China. She is also the all-time highest scorer for Brazil with 116 goals in 175 matches.

Marta, who is currently playing with the Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League in the USA, hopes to make her sixth appearance at the Olympics this summer in Paris if selected for the Brazilian squad.

"If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because, regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team," she told CNN in Brazil.

"There will be no more Marta from 2025 in the national team as an athlete."

Marta insisted that while her legend has transcended much of football lore, she is confident in the next generation of Brazilian football talent. The Brazil team struggled in the most recent edition of the Women's World Cup, failing to get out of the group stages as one of the tournaments greatest dark horses in Jamaica pipped the South Americans to the Round of 16.

On the future, Marta said: "I am very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes."

Marta has won three Copa America Femenina titles. She was also part of the Brazil team that claimed silver medals at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and 2008 Beijing Games, losing out to the USWNT for the gold medal.

At 14 years old, Marta began her club career with Vasco da Gama, with spells at Swedish sides Umea IK, Tyreso FF and Rosengard. In the U.S., she has also played for Los Angeles Sol, Western New York Flash and Gold Pride.

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2024-04-26T11:57:33Z dg43tfdfdgfd