PARIS 2024: All eyes are on all-time great Marta ahead of Olympic Games football finals 

The football programme at the Olympic Games has provided a number of subplots. The French men’s side has carried the weight of expectation on home soil with the deftness of a feline, reaching the final at Paris 2024.

They are set to battle with a Spanish outfit that has been equally inspired, buoyed by the tournament-winning heroics of the senior side at the 2024 European Championship just weeks before the start of the Olympics. 

In the women’s football draw, the US women’s team has shown glimpses of its historic aura as a powerhouse in the sport. This followed a couple of years of regression, evidenced by their round of 16 elimination by Sweden at the 2023 World Cup. It was the team’s earliest exit from the tournament they have won a record four times.      

Read more: Olympic Games Paris 2024

She Martas

However, the dominant theme heading into the Games’ football finals has to do with the swansong of an all-time great of the sport – Marta Vieira da Silva (better known as, simply, Marta). The 38-year-old announced that Paris 2024 would be her final major tournament at international level.  

In the national colours of Brazil, which she has donned since 2002, Marta has flourished. She has three Copa America gold medals with her country. Although an Olympic gold medal has proved to be elusive for her and her compatriots, she boasts two silver medals from the Games.

At club level – playing in her native country as well as Sweden and the US – she has won domestic and continental trophies. Never passively either. She played a key role regularly as her teams stormed to silverware.

It is because of the skilful Brazilian’s incredible legacy that one of the pre-Paris 2024 sub-stories was around Marta and her compatriots, and whether they can finally win an Olympic gold after a couple of near misses.

Brazil sneaked into the quarterfinals of the women’s tournament in France as one of the two best third-placed teams after winning just one of their three group games, when they beat Nigeria 1-0. The rest of the group phase saw them suffer two consecutive defeats, to Japan and Spain.

The latter contest – in which the Brazilians were defeated 2-0 by reigning world champions Spain – Marta was shown a red card for dangerous play. The forward caught Spaniard Olga Carmona’s head with a high boot as she attempted a clearance.

A sad departure

Despite tears from the women’s football legend, protestations from her teammates and looks of sympathy from the opposition – the referee ordered Marta to leave the pitch. A two-suspension meant that Brazil had to reach the last four for Marta to return.

At that moment, it appeared that Marta’s journey with international football (which has seen her capped 200 times by her country) was over, in the most unexpected manner. Especially with tournament hosts France being Brazil’s quarterfinal opponents, as well as the Brazilians being in poor form at the Games.

However, they shocked the French 1-0 to set up a rematch with Spain in the semifinals. 

Following a legal appeal, Brazil was hopeful that Marta’s ban would be reduced to one match and she’d be available for the mammoth tussle against the Spanish. The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the Brazilian application.

This may have motivated the South Americans even more ahead of their tough test against the Spanish in the last four. They surprisingly passed the test with a comfortable 4-2 win over the 2023 World Cup winners. Ensuring that Marta would be granted another opportunity to craft her farewell.

“Honestly, in these games without Marta, we did it for her,” midfielder Angelina said. “We want to give her a really great send-off. It was a dream of mine to play with Marta. And now it’s a dream come true. To do it in the final in the Olympics, it’s just perfect.”

American ambitions

In the final, which is set for 5pm SA time on Saturday, the Brazilians will encounter another extremely tough challenge when they clash with a rejuvenated US women’s side.

The Americans went into Paris in rebuild mode after a disastrous World Cup campaign in 2023, which saw them fail to make the semifinals of the tournament for the first time in their history. In the aftermath, head coach Vlatko Andonovski resigned after four years in charge.

Twila Kilgore held the fort on an interim basis as the US looked for a coach who would restore them as one of the best football sides in the world. The hierarchy of US football identified Chelsea women’s coach Emma Hayes, agreeing terms with her in late 2023.

She officially took over just two months before the Games, leaving Chelsea after more than a decade in charge of the Blues. 

Already, she has an opportunity to grant the US its first women’s football gold medal since they last won one at London 2012. They were also gold medal winners in 2008 and 2004. At Tokyo 2020 they claimed bronze.

Despite the Americans having their own golden ambitions, they recognise the significance of playing Marta in an Olympic final as her international career draws to a close.

“Marta has changed the game of soccer around the world. She’s such a talented player, but also a great human, which speaks volumes,” said US forward Trinity Rodman, who is the daughter of former basketball player Dennis Rodman.

“I’ve always looked up to her. We all kind of do … I love her. But we want the gold,” the 22-year-old added.

In the men’s football final France and Spain will clash for gold. The contest is poised to be an evenly balanced one – though the French will also count on home support pushing them to their first Olympic football gold since 1984. The Spanish are seeking their first one since winning it as hosts at Barcelona 1992.

The men’s final kicks off at 6pm on Friday, 9 August. DM