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As in the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ the year before, Marta was unable to take Brazil beyond the quarter-finals at London 2012. Although she had scored four goals in Germany 2011, the five-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year managed to find the back of the net just twice this time around, both goals coming in a 5-0 win over Cameroon. However, she has had more success with Swedish club Tyreso, whom she joined at the beginning of the year and propelled to the league title.

Her career
Arguably the globe’s most prolific producers of footballing talent and five-time winners of the FIFA World Cup™, Brazil has waited a long time for its female players to begin emulating their male counterparts. Though that struggle is by no means over, the remarkable rise of Marta Vieira da Silva from a tough childhood in Dois Riachos, Alagoas state has given the country a worthy footballing queen to join O Rei (the King) Pele.

Marta took her first steps on the professional ladder at the age of just 14, when she left her native city to try her luck with Rio de Janeiro side Vasco da Gama. Her spell at A Gigante da Colina was followed with a move to Sao Martins until in 2004, at 18 years of age, she packed her bags once more and headed for Swedish outfit Umea IK. This was another landmark event in a year which also featured the adidas Golden Ball award at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Thailand and helping Brazil to silver at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Athens.

Individual and team honours have been coming ever since for the Brazilian No10, whose performances have helped turn A Seleção into serious contenders at every major tournament. Winner of a record five FIFA Women’s World Player awards from 2006 to 2010, Marta will be determined to regain the crown after another sparkling year for club and country.