Marta Red Card: Women’s Soccer Legend Cries After Ejection From What Could Be Her Final International Game

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The Marta red-card moment at the 2024 Olympics will go down in women’s soccer history.

The legendary women’s soccer star, whose full name is Marta Vieira da Silva, received a red card in stoppage time of the first half of Brazil’s match against Spain for a dangerous high kick that clipped Spain’s Olga Carmona in the head. The referee issued a straight red card and Marta was ejected from the game, leaving her team to compete with 10, rather than 11, players on the field. Spain eventually eked out a 2-0 victory over Brazil, scoring two goals in the second half and securing their spot in the quarterfinals.

Marta’s red card came in the 50th minute of the Brazil vs. Spain match in the first round of the Olympic tournament, as Marta and Carmona competed for a loose ball. Carmona beat her opponent to the ball, heading it away, and Marta, who went into the attack with a high kick, then made contact with Carmona’s face. Marta received the red card after the foul was called, and she quickly broke down in tears, realizing that she had maybe made the final play of her international career. Even Marta’s Spanish opponents, recognizing the gravity of the moment, reached out to console her as she wept.

See the play here:

Marta is a football player with few peers in the realm of international soccer. She is a six-time women’s world player of the year and was playing in her sixth Olympics; she made her Olympic debut 20 years ago, at age 18, at the 2004 Games in Athens. Per the AP, she has said that this will be her final Olympic tournament. With their loss to Spain, Brazil must now wait for the outcome of the matches between the other two groups in the tournament to find out if they will advance to the quarterfinals.

Though there was little disagreement over the call online, many expressed their sadness over the heartbreaking possible end to Marta’s brilliant international career.

Marta’s red card may go down in history, but at the end of the day, nothing can overshadow her groundbreaking career and all she’s done for the sport. International women’s soccer won’t be the same without you, Marta!

Originally Appeared on Glamour