After the defeat to the United States in the women's Olympic football final, her third, the 38-year-old Brazilian legend admitted that this could be her last appearance. The next World Cup, in 2027, will be hosted by her country.

"At the Olympics," she confirmed, and "probably in official competition," she said when asked. "I don't think I'll be seen at the World Cup again. I don't know what might happen or what the national team's plans are, but my plans are to continue contributing to the team in some way, because this is my life," she added.

Vieria da Silva has won the FIFA World Player of the Year six occassions. She has more Olympic medals than any other Brazilian footballer, male or female and scored a total of 118 goals in 183 international appearances for the national team.

In addition to her six Olympic appearances, she has also competed in six Women’s World Cups, in which she holds the record for the most goals scored, and has managed to score 13 goals in her Olympic appearances, just one less than fellow Brazilian Cristiane.

Her career in the sport began in Dois Riachos, a small town in the east of Brazil, where she played street football with the local boys. At 17, she made her World Cup debut during the 2003 tournament in the United States.

This was her sixth Olympics, and she almost didn't finish when she was sent off in Brazil's final group game against Spain and received a two-match ban. Though her team-mates fought all the way to the final, allowing Marta to make her farewell appearance as a second-half substitute against the USA.

She is "proud" of the team and everything she has achieved, and in reviewing her career, she points out that she has been playing a sport that has not always been considered for women for 20 years and that now she has global references and values like herself.

That's why she wants to continue contributing to the sport, "I'm not going to disappear from football. I'm going to try to contribute in some way to this generation, because they are very talented girls and they are very aware of what we can achieve," she said.