Brazil recalls Marta, 39, despite 2024 retirement

Brazil's all-time starring scorer Marta has been recalled to the squad for the archetypal clip since past year's Olympic last for a brace of friendlies against Japan, manager Arthur Elias announced connected Tuesday erstwhile naming the 39-year-old.

Marta, wide regarded arsenic 1 of the top women players of each time, had announced that she would discontinue from planetary duty pursuing the 2024 Games successful Paris, wherever the striker claimed a 3rd Olympic metallic medal.

But the Orlando Pride subordinate is backmost successful the squad arsenic Brazil hole to support their Copa América rubric this year.

Marta extended her nine vocation earlier successful 2025 by signing a two-year declaration hold with the NWSL team, scotching speculation she was acceptable to bent up her boots for good.

"I was with Marta precocious and spoke with her. She said she is disposable to assistance the squad portion she is playing astatine a precocious level, arsenic she is now," Elias told reporters. "Marta has had a large play and has been precise important for her club, which is the American League champion.

"Her beingness successful immoderate call-ups is precise important for the younger players, for the renewal that is taking spot successful the nationalist team."

Marta volition articulation Brazil regulars similar Orlando Pride's Angelina, Kansas City's Debinha and Manchester City's Kerolin, portion Elias besides looks to rejuvenate his squad up of the 2027 World Cup by including rising talents similar goalkeeper Claudia and defender Isa Haas.

"We truly privation expectations to emergence for the women's nationalist squad and for shot successful our country," Elias added. "This is the enactment we suggest and anticipation that this improvement tin truly continue, adjacent though it is ever a challenge, due to the fact that we bid precise small with the players, we alteration galore players to truly springiness them opportunities."

Brazil big Japan connected May 30 and June 2, with the last squad for the July 12-August 2 Copa América successful Ecuador acceptable to beryllium announced earlier an distant affable against France connected June 27.