Marta is one of a kind. She is an icon and an inspiration to so many. I read once that Vinicius Jr said Marta is to Brazil what Pele was. Brazilians absolutely adore her. Perhaps she doesn't have the same status that she should have globally. The visibility for the women's game was not there during Marta's peak like it is now. The mentality and ability to make sacrifices to stay at that highest level for so long, like she has, just encapsulates everything about Marta.
The first 'wow' moment I had was when I saw Marta play for Brazil against the United States in the 2007 Women's World Cup semi-finals. She lit it up. Her playing style blew everyone's minds because of the ingenuity she had with the ball and how clever and creative she was. I will never forget the moment she flicked the ball around Tina Frimpong Ellertson and was dancing around the USA defence. It was like watching Ronaldinho in his heyday.
So how special would it be if she finally won it with Orlando Pride in Sunday's final before she retires - whenever that is? I hear her mum is watching her live for the first time too.
When I signed for Rosengard in Sweden in 2013, I couldn't believe I was going into a dressing room with Marta. I remember one of our first team meetings and everyone spoke Swedish - including Marta. I was thinking 'not only is she a superstar, but she’s also multilingual'.
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