Marta hopes to lead Brazil to a Copa América Femenina title after coming out of retirement

It was just a year ago when Marta left the Olympic final with tears in her eyes, emotionally marking the end of a storied career with the Brazilian national soccer team.

Turns out, the six-time world player of the year wasn’t quite finished.

The 39-year-old forward has un-retired and is playing for Brazil at the Copa América Femenina in Ecuador. The Brazilians have won eight titles in the premier women’s tournament for South America.

The Copa América is among three big continental women’s tournaments this summer, along with the European Championship and the Africa Cup of Nations.

Even though Marta had stepped away from the national team, Brazil coach Arthur Elias pulled her back in late May for a pair of friendly matches against Japan. Marta started in another Copa América tune-up match against France in late June.

Marta said she’s just living in the moment.

“My work doesn’t change, the feeling doesn’t change, the pride doesn’t change, the desire to help the team doesn’t change and it never will, regardless of whether I’m playing or not. But the way I’m facing things, not only here in the team, but I think in my day-to-day life, is a different way,” she said in a news conference when she was brought back. “I’m aware that I don’t have many years left to play, so the little I have, I want to make the most of it.”

Before last year’s Paris Games, Marta said she would be retiring from the national team after the Olympics to make way for the next generation of players. The Brazilians went on to win the silver medal after a 1-0 loss to the United States in the final.

But she continued to play for her club team, the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League. Last season, she scored 11 goals with the Pride, who won the NWSL title. She re-signed with the team through 2026 earlier this year.

Overall, Marta’s national team career has spanned more than 20 years. She’s played in 204 games for Brazil, scoring 119 goals.

She’s played in six World Cups and six Olympics. Brazil’s best finish at the World Cup was runner-up in 2007. The nation has reached the Olympic final three times, including in Paris, but a gold medal has remained out of reach.

Marta started in Brazil’s Copa América opener, a 2-0 victory over Venezuela, then came off the bench in a 6-0 win over Bolivia. Next up is a match against Paraguay on Tuesday.

She has said she’ll accept any role that Elias gives her, realizing that Brazil has a host talented young players, including 25-year-old Kerolin, who plays professionally for Manchester City, and 22-year-old Luany, who plays for Atlético Madrid.

But there’s also an elephant in the room: The Women’s World Cup is coming to Marta’s home country in 2027.

Previously, Marta said she didn’t see herself playing in it – she’d be 41 – but she hasn’t exactly ruled out the possibility either.

“The coach has always made it very clear that he’ll be calling whoever is best at the moment, regardless of age. And I think that the way he’s doing it is the most correct way,” she said. “There’s no point in coming here and saying, `I’ll be playing in the World Cup in two years.’ It will depend on what happens in my day-to-day life, and that’s why I’m thinking this way today and living one day at a time.”

She may also have another plan for her future.

“I still have a very strong desire to be a mother. So, maybe I’ll wake up one day and decide to call my doctor and see if it’s still possible,” she said in a recent interview with Globo’s Esporte Espetacular. “If it is, bye, I have to go now.”