Brazil‘s all-time leading goalscorer Marta walked off the pitch in tears after being shown a straight red card during their 2-0 defeat by Spain in the Olympic women’s football tournament.
Marta, who will retire from international football this year, was sent off for narrowly missing Olga Carmona‘s head with a dangerous high-footed tackle during the group stage game in Bordeaux.
Brazil were level when Marta was sent off just before half-time, with Spain scoring in the 68th minute and then the 17th minute of second-half injury time – an extension prompted by multiple injury delays.
Defeat means her side can only progress to the Paris 2024 quarter-finals as one of the best third-placed sides and must wait for the rest of the day’s games to finish before their fate is known.
Marta, 38, won Olympic silver at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, losing to the United States on both occasions.
She is the all-time leading scorer in World Cups, men’s or women’s, with 17 goals in 23 appearances across six tournaments.
