It’s incredible to think that in a professional career spanning 23 years, there are still firsts for a player like Marta.
Widely considered one of the best women’s soccer players of all time, the Brazilian suffered the first long-term injury of her career last season, tearing her ACL just one year ago.
Since then, she has gone through months of rehab, working her way back to the pitch and back with the Pride as she prepares for her first regular-season match a year to the date of her injury.
“It was very hard,” Marta said. “That was my first time in my whole career that I was out for so long and to go through all of this hard situation at my age. I just worked day-by-day to think about like, 'Yes, I still can play this game.' I still can go back and help this team. So that was hard. But the people around me helped me so much. I'm so grateful for that.”
The Pride captain committed to the team for another two years this past December, ensuring the G.O.A.T. remains in Orlando through 2024.
Despite being unable to play through all of last year, Marta was a constant figure at the training grounds at Sylvan Lake Park, constantly active on the sidelines and in film sessions. It was her way of giving back to her team without being able to take the pitch with them.
“I'm sure it was a frustrating time for her because she couldn't contribute on the field,” Pride coach Seb Hines said of the six-time FIFA World Player of the Year. "Having her around on the field, giving her feedback, and being fully engaged in the vision that we have here as a club, really helps the young players and the players who are out there performing each week. So having her back and contributing on the field is somewhat like having a new player.”
During her 84 career appearances with the Pride over the last seven years, Marta has the most goals (27) and assists (14) in club history. Now as she heads into this new year and a new chapter of her career, she’ll look to work her way back to the level of play she aspires to have every night.
“The feeling that I feel, to step on the field and be around the team and play, and training with the new players, makes me [not] think so much about [the pain]. Of course, it's going to bother me for a little while, but it's something that I try to live with and deal with because, as I said, playing, being able to train, and looking forward to playing in this season is much bigger than the other things.”
February 16 became an important date for Marta this year. The day she was able to take the pitch in a competitive match, representing her home country of Brazil in the SheBelieves Cup. That day, it just so happened the game was being hosted in Orlando, at her home Exploria Stadium.
After coming into the game in the 68th minute, she was able to notch the game-winning assist to Debinha, for a 1-0 win for Brazil. It was a 22-minute stretch that meant so much more for Marta than many could understand.
“When I look at my past, I had so many other things that were more difficult for me, and then I go forward, never step back," she said. "And when I had bad days that make me feel tired, feeling pain, listening to some people who didn't believe, like, 'Is she going to be back? Is she going to play again? Is she going to still keep playing at a high level?' I just remembered how hard it was when I started playing this game and how many people were against me. And then I just answered them by stepping on the field and playing, enjoying the game.
"So yeah, when I had hard times, I just think about how I had the hard times in my life there were harder than this one.”
Marta and the Pride will face their first test of the NWSL season on Sunday at Portland's Providence Park, taking on the Thorns. Coverage locally can be seen on FOX35 PLUS, while fans outside Orlando can tune in on Paramount+ for all the action.
Regular season opener: Orlando Pride at Portland Thorns
When: Sunday, 5 p.m.
Where: Providence Park, Portland, Ore.
TV: FOX35 PLUS, Paramount+
