Marta won the inaugural FIFA award for the best goal in women’s football – named in her honour Brazil she’s great.
The 38-year-old received the Marta Award on Tuesday during the FIFA “The Best” gala for scoring a goal for Brazil in an international friendly match against Jamaica in June.
Before this year, the Puskas Award covered all of football, but it was decided to award it to the best goal in the men’s game – won this year by Manchester United striker Alejandro Garnacho – and create a new Marta Award for the women’s game.
“Competing against so many great players gave us some fantastic goals,” she said. “It was also a great season. But I’m even happier to have received an award bearing my name; this is undoubtedly the greatest honor.”
Marta is widely considered to be the greatest female soccer player of all time and has won the Female Player of the Year award six times.
She scored a record 119 goals in 185 appearances for her country, during six World Cups and six Olympic Games, before retiring from international football after the Paris Games, where Brazil lost to the United States in the final.
Marta won first NWSL title of his career last month When Orlando’s pride defeat The spirit of Washington In the final 1-0. She scored another wonder goal in the semi-final, which could also have been a candidate for best of the year.
The day before the title fight, Marta was asked if she thought she could give the award to herself.
“You have to decide, because who votes for the best goal of the year? It’s you. These are people from the audience. So it should be really interesting as Marta’s Award goes to Marta!” – she said with a laugh.
Marta’s award was awarded by fans and a panel of FIFA legends.
This story uses information from the Associated Press.
