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This upcoming Saturday, July 29, marks a significant milestone in soccer history. Marta Vieira da Silva and her team are gearing up to compete in the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup against France. Marta, a revered Brazilian athlete, is no stranger to the World Cup stage, having already participated in five previous tournaments.
Despite her extensive experience, Marta was recently taken aback by a heartwarming surprise when she discovered personal letters from her family members in her hotel room.
According to Marca, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has organized a kind gesture for the players. They will receive letters and gifts from their families as part of this initiative.
Marta got messages from her mother, Tereza, and her girlfriend, Carrie Lawrence. “I arrived in my room after training, and there was a little Saint on my bed, a letter that someone wrote with my mother’s words, obviously because she doesn’t know how to write. And one from Carrie, from my dear one. There’s no way not to cry,” said the forward, who has been selected as the best player in the world six times.
The Brazilian national team debuted on Monday, July 24, against Panama in Group F. They will compete again on Saturday, July 29, against France.
Marta’s last rodeo
The 37 year old athlete is playing her last World Cup, and hopes to take the trophy home, a win that would be historic for herself and for Brazil, who’ve somehow never won the World Cup trophy.
When Marta was 14, a soccer coach discovered her talent. She began her professional career in Brazil, playing for local clubs like Vasco Da Gama and later Santa Cruz. She then moved to Switzerland to play for Umeå IK. Marta has since played for various American soccer league teams, which she considers the best in the world. Currently, she is the captain of Orlando Pride.