Marta, a six-time world player of the year, has extended her contract with Orlando Pride through the 2026 season, just over a month after leading the team to victory in their first NWSL Championship.
This offseason, Marta was among the most prominent NWSL free agents. Back in November, she expressed her desire to play for two more seasons.
She has been a member of the Orlando Pride since 2017.
Next month, Marta will celebrate her 39th birthday and had her most successful season with the Pride in 2024, netting 11 goals across all competitions. This remarkable performance contributed to the Pride’s achievement of both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship. The team began the 2024 season unbeaten in the first 23 matches.
“This is a team where everybody works for each other, where everyone believes in each other, and I’m so excited to continue this journey with this club,” Marta stated. “Last year we proved everyone wrong and did something so special as a team, and that’s why I’m so happy to have the opportunity to sign for two more years. Personally, it also means a lot to me that I will reach 10 seasons as an Orlando Pride player, a special number for me as I have worn the No. 10 jersey most of my career.”
Marta made significant contributions during the Pride’s championship run, scoring in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. Her decisive goal in the semifinal against the Kansas City Current received international attention, drawing parallels to her famous 2007 World Cup semifinal goal against the United States.
Last year, Marta’s revitalized form also reinstated her as a crucial player for Brazil during their pursuit of an Olympic silver medal. Brazil faced the United States in the Olympic final for the third time, marking both the team and Marta’s third silver medal.
In November, following the NWSL Championship, Marta downplayed the pressure of potentially playing in the 2027 World Cup, which will take place in Brazil. She affirmed her commitment to making herself available for the national team but clarified that she would not be playing club soccer solely for selection. By the time the tournament rolls around, she will be 41.
“When I say I don’t want to play 2027, I don’t want to have this responsibility to play in the club to be in the national team,” Marta explained before November’s NWSL Championship. “I’ve been doing [that] for 20, 21 years in my life. I’m feeling like it’s time to just enjoy a little bit more. Be in the club but don’t have this responsibility to be in the national team, too. But like I said, if they need me, I’m here.
“But I’m not going to the game to think I need to do good here to be in the national team. I’m not doing this anymore. I play with a different mind in my head now. I play to do my best in the club and live day by day. I don’t want to have this pressure anymore on my back. That’s why for me, now it’s different.”
Just two days later, she helped secure Orlando’s first NWSL title and her first domestic championship in the United States since 2011, when she was victorious in a now-defunct league.
Marta returns to an Orlando team anticipated to maintain its core, including star striker Barbra Banda.
“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,” stated Orlando Pride VP of sporting operations and sporting director Haley Carter. “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. We are thrilled to have secured her as a member of the Pride for the next two years and look forward to seeing what more we will accomplish during her tenure.”
Image Source: Brazilian Footballer Marta @ Instagram
