Marta Vieira da Silva began playing football at age 12, in her home city of Dois Riachos, Alagoas State. At 14, she moved to Rio de Janeiro, where she played for Vasco da Gama. She had soon collected a large number of awards: champion and top scorer in the Under-19 Women’s Brazilian Championship in 2001, fourth place in the 2003 Women’s World Cup, and two-time Pan American champion. Her most recent victory is her silver medal at Beijing 2008.

At just 22 years of age, the attacking mid-fielder has already scored a remarkable 191 goals in 189 matches, and after five seasons in Swedish football, she will now play in the most competitive national women’s championship in the world, the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league in the United State. Marta is part of the select group of players to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year title three times (along with Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, Germany’s Birgit Prinz and Brazil’s phenomenon, Ronaldo Nazário).

What is it like to be elected Player of the Year for the third time by FIFA?

It’s the same feeling as the first time! It has always been my goal to be the best in the world, and I strive for this every year.

What are your expectations for the Rio 2016 bid?

I’m very hopeful. I was talking with the organizers and found out that the competition is very tough. But I believe in Rio. It would be incredible to host an Olympic Games here.

You played for Vasco da Gama at the start of your career. What was it like to live in Rio de Janeiro?

It was a challenging period for me, but fundamental for my career. Rio will always be with me!

On the day of the women’s football final match in the 2016 Olympic Games, you will have turned 30. Before then, what are your personal goals, and what do you imagine will happen in Brazilian women’s football?

Well, imagining is not enough; you have to make things happen. By 2016, I would like to have won an Olympic gold and a world championship with the Brazilian national team.

The Brazilian women’s football team did spectacularly well. How did it feel to win a silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games?

It was the second consecutive time that we didn’t win gold, but we came to the conclusion that we really are winners.

Tell us about your childhood in Alagoas. What motivated you to play football and embark on a career in the sport?

It was a good childhood, but difficult for my mother. She worked hard to put food on the table. Today, everything that I achieve is because of her and for her.

Sweden and the USA are two very different countries. After five seasons in Sweden, how do you see your move to the Los Angeles Sol in the States?

I hope to be able to help and promote women’s football in the USA, and also to help my team win titles.

Women’s football is becoming more and more popular, especially after Brazil’s victories. Do you believe that the sport can serve as a tool for social inclusion?

Definitely. There are no social differences on the pitch. We are the same. We love sport. We are white, black, slender, strong. We are the same because football is our life.

What advice would you give young people who dream of a career in football?

Never give up on your dreams.