Brazil’s star Marta said on Monday it would be his last World Cup.
Marta, 37, is widely considered one of the best players in women’s football history, but has yet to lift the World Cup trophy in five attempts.
“Yes, this will be my last World Cup,” Marta told reporters in Brasilia on Monday, just before the squad boarded a flight to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. “We have to understand that there comes a time when we prioritize other things.”
Brazilian coach Pia Sundage told The Associated Press last month that six-time World Player of the Year Marta may not be in Brazil’s starting lineup immediately while he continues to recover from a left knee injury.
Marta played for a few minutes on Sunday when Brazil beat Chile 4-0 in their last friendly before the trip.
“I can’t help but appreciate all those years on the national team,” added Marta, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 117 goals. “It’s unrealistic for me to have a chance to go to another World Cup.”
Marta missed the national team for 11 months last year after undergoing surgery to tear his anterior cruciate ligament. Sundage, who led the United States to two Olympic gold medals, called up Marta in April for friendly matches against England and Germany, but the forward remained in Florida to recover from a muscle injury in his left leg. 먹튀검증
Brazil, one of the three South American teams competing in the tournament, is in Group F with Jamaica and Panama’s France, which eliminated Brazil in the round of 16 four years ago.
Brazil’s first game is against Panama on July 24 in Adelaide.