When Brazil travel to Middlesbrough to take on England on Saturday, there is one player everyone will have their sights set on – Marta.
The Brazilian legend is the all-time top scorer for her country, has been a flag bearer at a home Olympics, received a phone call from legendary striker Pele when she was a teenager and is largely considered the greatest player of her generation.
But what makes her so special?
Marta’s seven goals in China in 2007 led Brazil to their first Women’s World Cup final.
At this year’s tournament in France, the 33-year-old became the first player to score at five World Cups with a penalty against Australia.
Then less than a week later, her goal in a 1-0 win over Italy made her the all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup history with 17, moving ahead of Germany men’s striker Miroslav Klose (16).
With 112 goals in 147 appearances, Marta has a better minutes-per-goal ratio than any other Brazilian – and she has netted more than a quarter of her side’s World Cup goals.
Between 2006 and 2010, Marta won five successive Fifa World Player of the Year awards and remains the only female footballer to have won more than three times.
She added a sixth award in 2018 when she beat German midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan and Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg.
Marta has placed inside the top three a further seven times and made the Best XI in 2016, 2017 and 2019 – only France’s Wendie Renard has been included on more occasions.
She has also won a number of top scorer accolades playing for clubs in Sweden and America, plus the Golden Ball award for the best player at the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, then both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot at the senior World Cup in 2007.
American magazine Sports Illustrated named Marta in the top 20 female athletes of the decade between 2000 and 2009.
As well as her achievements on the pitch, Marta has inspired a new generation and has fought for equality in women’s football.
Following Brazil’s last-16 exit in France, Marta gave an emotional speech calling on young players to follow in her generation’s footsteps.
“Women’s football depends on you to survive,” she said. “Think about it, value it more. We’re asking for support, you have to cry at the beginning and smile at the end.
“It’s about wanting more, it’s about training more, it’s about looking after yourself more, it’s about being ready to play 90 minutes and then 30 minutes more.”
Marta said she hoped her achievements would “push for women’s empowerment”.
“Let me be clear, this is not only in sport. This is a struggle for equality across the board,” she added.
England forward Beth Mead, who will face Marta in Saturday’s match at the Riverside, described Marta as a “legend” and said she is “a player that we respect on and off the pitch”.
“Marta is someone that I have watched for many years growing up,” Mead told BBC Sport. “The things she has done in the women’s game are phenomenal.”
