Almost every sport has a GOAT debate. When it comes to football, on the men’s side, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are often pitted against each other, with Diego Maradona and Pele also in the conversation. On the women’s side, though, it is Marta, once dubbed ‘Pele in a skirt’ by the Brazilian icon himself, who stands alone and unrivalled as the undisputed greatest of all time.
Marta’s claim to that title comes from the undeniable brilliance she has brought to the pitch for well over 20 years, with her captivating playing style marking her out as a transcendent figure long before the women’s game was as popular as it is today.
As well as helping her to lift titles like the Champions League and Copa America, that magic has allowed the Brazil icon to set records aplenty, with her status as the all-time top goal-scorer in Women’s World Cup history the most notable. But what Marta does not have to her name is a World Cup winners’ medal.
Now aged 40, she looks to have one last chance. After retiring from international duty following the Olympic Games in 2024, where the Selecao ran the United States close but ultimately came up short in the gold medal match, Marta has since U-turned and played a key role in last year’s Copa America triumph.
So, with Brazil to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, it looks like there will be one last dance for the GOAT of the women’s game as she tries to guide her nation to what would be an iconic success on home soil.