From the the backwaters of Brazil to the top of the world

Dois Riachos, a small district of the Algoas State, with little over 12 thousand inhabitants, according to the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), is renowned as a region that has produced some of world football’s most precious gems. This talent is even more acclaimed for overcoming the obstacles of a sport monopolized by the men.

Marta Vieira da Silva was born on 19 February 1986, the daughter of a hairdresser and a cleaner at the local town hall. From a very early age, she knew exactly what she wanted. By the age of seven, when she began playing football near her home, she had already become aware of her God-given talents.

But the odds were all stacked against her. Their local field was basically a stream that flowed under a bridge. When the stream dried up, though, the local kids were happy as it meant they had somewhere to play.

But in the beginning, the little Marta wasn’t as happy as the rest of the kids. As the only girl chasing after the ball, she had to endure a lot of prejudice.

Marta took her first shots and practiced her first dribbles during kick-abouts with the boys from her neighbourhood, the majority of them a lot older than her. Some said Marta shouldn’t be allowed to play because she was a girl.

But she says that they always did let her play in the end, because they knew she could make the difference between winning and losing. She could also count on the protection of her cousins, who always played on her side and helped her. As the years went by, Marta gained more space within the boys and learned to defend herself.

Aged 14, and already harbouring big dreams, she decided to try her luck in Rio de Janeiro. Marta, who lost contact with her father when she was just one year old, had the support of her brother, who was 10 years her elder, and mother Tereza, who was always by her side. While others criticised her decision, her family always encouraged her. Never once had her mother tried to stop her playing football.

To get to Vasco, her first club, she had to travel over 1,500km, which meant three days by bus. The coach was immediately impressed by her dribbling skills and her ball control. It wasn’t long before she was offered a contract, and she went to live with friends of the family in Rio.

Soon afterwards, she also caught the attention of the Brazilian Football Confederation scouts and received a call-up to the Seleção U-17 team.

Eventually, she moved to Santa Cruz, but only spent a short time with the Minas Gerais club, and in 2003, on the advice of the defender Marina, she switched to Juventude of Rio Preto. The pair had met at the Brazilian national team’s training complex, in Granja Comary, Teresópolis. During her spell at Juventude, Marta received, along with accommodation and a supply of food, a monthly wage of approximately US$170.

Marta first started to gain worldwide attention in 2003, when she was one of the key factors behind Brazil’s gold medal at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic. Brazil successfully defended their title in Rio de Janeiro in 2007. Also in 2003, she was one of the stand-out players at the World Cup in the United States, the birthplace of women’s football. It was her performances in these two tournaments that opened the doors to Europe.

In March 2004, Umeå IK of Sweden, where women’s football enjoys great popularity and players earn bigger wages, recognised the rare ability of the left-footed forward and decided to take a gamble by signing her. And what a bet it turned out to be! In three seasons, Marta scored 63 goals and helped the Swedish team win several major titles, including the 2004 UEFA Cup.

All of Marta’s sacrifice, effort and persistence culminated in her being given the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award on 18 December 2006, something no other Brazilian player had accomplished. Brazil and, particularly Dois Riachos, are immensely proud of their most famous footballing daughter.