Brazil forward Marta has extended her stay with the NWSL’s Orlando Pride, putting pen to paper on a new contract that will see her stay in Florida until the end of the 2026 season.
The Pride lifted the NWSL championship for the first time in 2024 — with Marta scoring the decisive goal in the semifinal against the Kansas City Current.
The 38-year-old joined Orlando in 2017 and has made 128 appearances for the franchise, scoring 42 goals.
“Coming off the most successful season in our club’s history and, personally, one of the best of her professional career, re-signing Marta was a key business priority for us during this offseason,” Orlando Pride’s sporting director Haley Carter said in a statement.
“The impact she has made on our team, our locker room and our community is evident, of course through her incredible skill as a player, but even more so through her selfless and exemplary leadership style.”
Marta is one of the most recognized faces in women’s soccer, regarded by many to be the greatest of all time. She was named FIFA World Player of the Year six times between 2006 and 2018, and holds the record for most goals in FIFA Women’s World Cup history with 17.
She retired from international duty after Brazil’s 1-0 defeat to the United States in the final of the Paris Olympics in August 2024, but said she wanted to play “for a couple more years” after captaining the Pride to the title.
In December, Marta became the first winner of FIFA’s new award for the best goal in women’s soccer over the previous year, aptly named after herself.
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