Marta (footballer) facts for kids
_073_(cropped).jpg)
Marta with the Orlando Pride in 2024
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marta Vieira da Silva | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 February 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dois Riachos, Alagoas, Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Current team
|
Orlando Pride | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | CSA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Vasco da Gama | 16 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Santa Cruz | 38 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2008 | Umeå IK | 103 | (111) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Los Angeles Sol | 19 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | → Santos (loan) | 14 | (26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Gold Pride | 24 | (19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Santos | 12 | (13) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Western New York Flash | 14 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Tyresö | 38 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Rosengård | 43 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | Orlando Pride | 118 | (40) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Brazil U19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2025 | Brazil | 204 | (119) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 August 2024 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marta Vieira da Silva (born February 19, 1986), known simply as Marta, is a Brazilian professional footballer. She plays as a forward for the National Women's Soccer League club Orlando Pride. Many people consider her the greatest female footballer of all time. She has won the FIFA World Player of the Year award six times. Five of these awards were won in a row, from 2006 to 2010. She won her latest award in 2018.
Marta holds the record as Brazil's top goalscorer with 119 goals. She also holds the record for the most goals scored in any World Cup, for both women and men, with 17 goals. Marta was the first footballer, male or female, to score in five different World Cups. Christine Sinclair and Cristiano Ronaldo later achieved this feat. She was also the first footballer to score in five consecutive Olympic Games. Marta helped the Brazilian national team win silver medals at the 2004, 2008, and 2024 Summer Olympics. She won the Golden Ball (MVP) at the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship. She also won both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. She led Brazil to the final of that tournament.
At the club level, Marta won the UEFA Women's Cup with Swedish club Umeå IK in 2004. She also won seven Swedish league championships while playing for different teams in Sweden. In 2016, Marta was one of eight people to carry the Olympic Flag in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She was also chosen by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to be an advocate for Sustainable Development Goals. In 2017, Marta became a Swedish citizen. She now has citizenship in both Brazil and Sweden.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Early Career and Swedish Success
Marta was discovered by Brazilian coach Helena Pacheco when she was 14. She began her professional career at Vasco da Gama in 2000. After two years, she moved to Santa Cruz. In 2004, she joined Umeå IK in Sweden.
With Umeå IK, Marta helped her team reach the UEFA Women's Cup final in 2004. They won the final 8–0 against Frankfurt, with Marta scoring three goals. Umeå IK won the Swedish league (Damallsvenskan) in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Marta was the league's top scorer in 2004, 2005, and 2008. In 2007, she scored a hat-trick in the Swedish Cup final, helping Umeå win 4–3.
Playing in the United States
In January 2009, Marta announced she would join the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) team Los Angeles Sol. She was the league's top scorer in 2009 with ten goals. The Sol won the regular season but lost in the WPS Championship final.
During the off-season, Marta played for Santos in Brazil on loan. She helped Santos win the Copa Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil. In 2010, Marta joined FC Gold Pride. She scored 19 goals and won the WPS MVP and Golden Boot awards for the second year in a row. She led Gold Pride to win the WPS Championship. In 2011, Marta joined her third WPS team, the Western New York Flash. She helped the Flash win the Regular Season Championship and earned her third straight Golden Boot award.
Return to Sweden and Orlando Pride
When the WPS league stopped playing in 2012, Marta returned to Sweden. She signed with Tyresö FF. Tyresö won the Damallsvenskan title in 2012, which was Marta's fifth league winner's medal. In 2014, she joined FC Rosengård in Sweden. With Rosengård, Marta won the Damallsvenskan league title in 2014 and 2015. She also won the Svenska Cupen in 2016 and the Svenska Supercupen in 2015 and 2016.
In April 2017, Marta joined Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League. In her first season, she was second in the league for both goals and assists. Her teammates voted her MVP. The Pride finished third and made their first-ever playoff appearance. In 2023, Marta became the first player to reach 100 appearances for the Pride. In 2024, Marta won her first NWSL titles with Orlando Pride. They won the NWSL Shield (regular season championship) and then the NWSL Championship by beating Washington Spirit 1–0. In January 2025, Marta signed a new two-year contract with Orlando.
International Career Highlights
Pan American Games and World Cup Success
On July 26, 2007, Marta and the Brazilian women's team won the 2007 Pan American Games. They beat the US U-20 national team in front of 68,000 fans. Brazilian fans compared her to the great Pelé, calling her "Pelé with skirts." Pelé himself agreed with the comparison. Marta's footprints were recorded in cement at the stadium, making her the first woman to receive this honor.
Marta played in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup with Brazil. She scored four goals in the group stage. In the semi-final, Marta scored twice as Brazil won 4–0 against the United States. Brazil lost 2–0 to Germany in the final. Marta won both the Golden Ball (best player) and the Golden Boot (top scorer with seven goals) at the 2007 World Cup.
Marta also played in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Brazil won a silver medal after losing 1–0 to the United States in the final.
World Cup Records and Olympic Achievements
Marta was part of the Brazil team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. She scored four goals and had two assists. This made her tied for the most goals ever in the Women's World Cup at that time, with 14 goals.
During her fourth World Cup in 2015, Marta became the all-time top scorer of the women's tournament with 15 goals. Brazil lost to Australia in the round-of-16.
At the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Marta made history again. She became the first player, male or female, to score in five FIFA World Cup tournaments. She scored a penalty against Australia. In the next match, she scored another penalty against Italy. This made her the outright leading goalscorer in World Cup history, with 17 goals. After Brazil was knocked out, Marta gave an emotional interview. She asked Brazilian girls to continue the legacy of women's football.
On July 21, 2021, Marta scored twice in a 5–0 win against China. This made her the first player to score in five straight Olympics. On April 26, 2024, Marta announced she would retire from international football after the 2024 Summer Olympics. She received her third silver medal at the 2024 Olympics after Brazil lost 1–0 to the United States in the final.
Playing Style
Marta is known for her amazing skills on the ball. She is quick, strong, and very creative. Many people compare her to famous male footballers like Ronaldinho and Pelé. Pelé even called her Pelé with skirts. Marta is great at dribbling at high speed.
She can play in many attacking positions. She started as an offensive midfielder, like a classic number 10. Later, she played more forward, as a supporting forward or a main striker. She can also play on the wing, cutting inside to shoot with her strong left foot. Marta is known for creating chances and helping her teammates score. She is also a great goalscorer herself, good at penalties and free kicks. Besides her football skills, Marta is also known for her strong leadership.
Personal Life
Marta has three siblings: José, Valdir, and Angela. Her parents are Aldário and Tereza. In 2010, Marta became a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme. In 2018, she became a UN Women goodwill ambassador. Marta can speak Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, and English. She is a Catholic and says that God is very important to her. In 2016, she was named one of BBC's 100 Women.
In March 2017, Marta received Swedish citizenship. She kept her Brazilian citizenship. In February 2021, she received a U.S. green card. This gives her permanent residency in the U.S. and means she counts as a domestic player for NWSL teams. In August 2024, Marta announced her engagement to her Orlando Pride teammate, Carrie Lawrence.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Los Angeles Sol | 2009 | WPS | 20 | 10 | – | – | 20 | 10 | ||
| Santos | 2009 | Série A | – | 7 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 25 | |
| Gold Pride | 2010 | WPS | 25 | 20 | – | – | 25 | 20 | ||
| Santos | 2011 | Série A | – | – | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| Western New York Flash | 2011 | WPS | 15 | 10 | – | – | 15 | 10 | ||
| Tyresö | 2012 | Damallsvenskan | 21 | 12 | 4 | 4 | – | 25 | 16 | |
| 2013 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 24 | 20 | ||
| 2014 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | 3 | 4 | |||
| Rosengård | 2014 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 11 | |
| 2015 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 32 | 18 | ||
| 2016 | 19 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 13 | ||
| Orlando Pride | 2017 | NWSL | 23 | 13 | – | – | 23 | 13 | ||
| 2018 | 17 | 4 | – | – | 17 | 4 | ||||
| 2019 | 14 | 6 | – | – | 14 | 6 | ||||
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 0 | – | 23 | 4 | |||
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2023 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 | 4 | |||
| 2024 | 23 | 9 | – | – | 23 | 9 | ||||
| Career total | 265 | 133 | 33 | 31 | 36 | 25 | 334 | 189 | ||
Awards and Achievements
.jpg)
Club Honors
- Umeå IK
- Damallsvenskan: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
- Svenska Cupen: 2007
- UEFA Women's Cup: 2003–04
- Santos
- Copa Libertadores de Fútbol Femenino: 2009
- Copa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino: 2009
- FC Gold Pride
- WPS Championship: 2010
- Western New York Flash
- WPS Championship: 2011
- Tyresö FF
- Damallsvenskan: 2012
- FC Rosengård
- Damallsvenskan: 2014, 2015
- Orlando Pride
- NWSL Championship: 2024
- NWSL Shield: 2024
International Honors (Brazil)
- Pan American Games: 2003, 2007 (Gold Medal)
- Sudamericano Femenino: 2003, 2010, 2018
- FIFA Women's World Cup runner-up: 2007
- Summer Olympics Silver Medal: 2004, 2008, 2024
Individual Awards
- FIFA World Player of the Year/The Best FIFA Women's Player – Winner: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2018
- FIFPro World XI: 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2024
- Damallsvenskan Top Scorer: 2004, 2005, 2008
- FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Golden Ball: 2004
- FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Boot: 2007
- FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Ball: 2007
- FIFA Best Special Award: 2023
- WPS Golden Boot: 2009, 2010, 2011
- Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award: 2009, 2010
- Sudamericano Femenino Golden Boot: 2010
- IFFHS World's Best Woman Playmaker: 2012
- IFFHS Women's World Team: 2018
- IFFHS World's Best Woman Player of the Decade 2011–2020
- NWSL Best XI First Team: 2024
Records
- FIFA Women's World Cup all-time record goalscorer (17 goals)
See also
In Spanish: Marta Vieira da Silva para niños
- List of Olympic medalists in football
- List of women's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of top international women's football goal scorers by country
- List of women footballers with 300 or more goals
