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, which 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.
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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 quickly broke down in tears, realizing that she had just 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.
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