A Tribute to Marta

As the referee blew the final whistle in the Group F encounter between Brazil and Jamaica, players of both teams were reduced to tears. While it was tears of joy for the Jamaicans, who made it through to the knockout stages of the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time in just their second attempt, it was despair in the Brazilian camp, as for the first time in the history of the tournament, they had been knocked out of the group stage. After the game, the cameras picked up one of the most beautiful moments the World Cup has seen so far this year. Jamaican captain Khadija Shaw was seen embracing Brazilian great Marta, and the duo exchanged words with swollen eyes before embracing again, and the same happened between Marta and Jamaican defender Cheyna Mathews. Without any context, this would just seem like a friendly embrace, a feeling of mutual respect between opponents. Context, however, is of utmost importance when it comes to a player like Marta. This was not just a mere hug; this was the players paying homage to a legend, and the passing of the baton from one revolutionary to another. Shaw and her Jamaican teammates' journey to the World Cup was one marred with obstacles set by their own football federation, with the players having to set up a GoFundMe campaign just to fund their travel to the host nations of Australia and New Zealand and participate.

The story of the Jamaican women's team mirrors that of several other teams playing in the World Cup, where the teams have achieved success despite their respective federations, and not because of them. This is a tale familiar to Marta herself. Maybe this was why Marta made it a point to talk to Shaw and Mathews and give them words of experience, because she may have seen herself in them - players who have all the talent in the world and are ready to set fire to the stage, held back by their own people back home. Women who are fighting for their basic rights as professionals, just to play football. The current edition of the World Cup is Marta's sixth, but she has not had the good fortune of lifting one so far. The closest she came was in 2007, where Brazil had to be content with finishing as runners-up. Sure, not all of the greatest players have had the pleasure of winning a World Cup. Cruyff never won, Maldini never won, and her countrymen Socrates and Zico too had never brought home glory. The difference is, however, that her male counterparts' shortcomings were performance-based; it was just hard luck. Marta, on the other hand, has been let down by her country. She has been fighting a losing battle against her federation from the beginning, like several of her colleagues. Never once was she able to participate in a World Cup fully prepared to go all the way. A lack of proper equipment, basic amenities, and financial support always held her back. Sometimes Brazil's matches would not even be broadcasted back home, for her people to see.

Brazil is a haven for football, and it has bred some of the greatest football players we have ever seen. The CBF, the governing body for Brazilian football, however, is known more for its corruption and incompetence. An existing structure of the football and its culture along with commercialization have helped the men offset the issues caused by the federation, the same cannot be said for the women. To highlight how bad the women footballers had it, it was only in 2007 that an official attempt by the federation was made to start a national tournament for them. While Marta and her teammates have been fighting for basic rights as professionals, most of their male counterparts hardly ever acknowledge the struggle and are too busy endorsing the far-right in their country, which has been vocal about the intrinsic values of misogyny and queerphobia it promotes - both of which affect the lives of the female players. Even when changes are made in an attempt to improve the condition of women's football in the country, they are immediately reversed and leave the players in the lurch. A prime example of this is an incident in 2017, when Emily Lima, the first ever woman to be appointed coach of the women's team, was sacked after hardly a year in the post, causing the players to erupt in anger.

To have one of the greatest ever players to play for your country is a blessing. Marta was compared to Pele at just 21 years old, a comparison the legend himself acknowledged. Seeing her score a Bergkamp-esque turn-and-finish goal against the USA in the semi-finals of the 2007 World Cup only further cemented the legacy of a young superstar ready to conquer the world. Somehow, none of this convinced her federation to pay more attention to the state of affairs. While the USA and Germany continued to invest and have proper structures in place, the situation in Brazil was still a joke. Players were being paid wages that simply weren't enough to sustain themselves.

The last straw came in the 2019 World Cup, after losing to France in extra-time, and a frustrated Marta delivered an emotional post-match interview that wrote itself into the history books. She pleaded the girls back home to not give up, and to keep fighting for themselves. Even as the sun was starting to set on her career, she made it a point to remind the footballers of Brazil to stand up for themselves, and keep themselves prepared, because players like herself, Formiga, and Cristiane wouldn't be around to lead the movement anymore. "Cry in the beginning, so you can smile in the end," she said, before walking off. This interview is an embodiment of what Marta has always stood for. Marta has always sacrificed. She has had to overcome hurdles which shouldn't have existed in the first place to reach where she is now. In her own words, she always focuses on the bigger picture, rather than Marta herself.

Watching Marta cry broke my heart. I have never rooted for a player's success like this. Because Marta is an icon like no other. She is a role model for a whole new generation of footballers, who have an idol in her to look up to, who teaches them to fight for what they deserve and to excel, and she did all of this even when she never had anyone to look up to. A point which was also reiterated by Nigerian striker Asisat Oshoala in this year's World Cup, Marta's generation of footballers never had an example to follow. To make up for this void, Marta took it upon herself to become that example, and she has done so selflessly. She has dedicated her life to football and the empowerment of the women in it. Awards and trophies cannot quantify the impact she has had. Even when she loses a game, she inspires. Marta has never failed Brazil, but Brazil has failed Marta countless times. Still she stands strong. Still she fights on, imploring others to do the same. Speaking after their loss against Jamaica, she asked Brazil to keep supporting her teammates, because even if it was the end for her, it was just the beginning for them. Even as she sees the curtains close on her illustrious career, she wants the world to see the bigger picture, and focus on the more important things. The responsibility she shoulders on and off the field is a great one. The world will never witness an icon who has sacrificed so much, yet come as far as she has in her career. A six-time FIFA Best Player winner, with countless Golden Balls and Golden Boots in her showcase, Marta stands tall, being in the company of only a handful of players who can lay claim to the mantle of the greatest player of all time. Everybody is a Marta fan, because they are aware of everything she has done for the players to have better opportunities. So when Khadija Shaw and Cheyna Mathews cry as they embrace her on the pitch, it is their way of showing thanks and paying tribute to the leader of a generation of new football players.

Obrigado, Marta. Your contributions to the women's game will never be forgotten. It may not mean much, but if there ever was a player who deserved a World Cup, it is you.