From Marta to Linda Caicedo: how much women’s soccer in South America changed in the World Cups

The completion in the Group Phase of the New Zealand and Australia World Cup marks a before and after in the Tournament with the world’s recognition of Marta and the astonishment of Linda Caicedo.

The Women’s World Cup was born in 1991 as a 12-team tournament and today features 32 teams in New Zealand and Australia. Today, too, this same Cup said goodbye in its competition to Marta, the greatest reference in women’s soccer who participated in 6 World Cups and scored 17 goals. Not even in men’s soccer are that many goals recorded, 17! “For me, it’s the end of the road”, said the ’10’ from Brazil when she was eliminated in the Group Phase along with her team. Against Jamaica she played her last game in a World Cup. She never won it. She could not. But she left a legacy. “Women’s football is growing, we see many teams evolve and evolve,” said Marta.

In the country that adores soccer, Marta is his great lover. Since she was little, the fabulous soccer player knew that she would be a soccer player, but it was a gym teacher who discovered her. “Nobody accepted that a girl ran after the ball among boys. They were stronger, but even so, she stood out, ”recalls Julio de Freitas, her first coach. She, who asked her mother for tips to buy a ball, today is the owner of it. At the age of 14, she left her house and traveled two thousand kilometers to prove herself in Vasco da Gama and her left foot did the rest for her.

In South America, CONMEBOL offers 3 direct places to qualify for a Women’s World Cup and 2 teams play playoffs. Brazil, Argentina and Colombia went directly, after their good results in the 2022 Copa América, to the Tournament that is played in New Zealand and Australia. The only team that remains in the race going to the round of 16 in this world tournament is Colombia, who at the feet of Linda Caicedo found the way to beat South Korea and knock down the favorite Germany.

How cute Linda plays. The young striker and benchmark for Colombia is 18 years old and has already played Sub 17, Sub 20 and the current World Cup. Her goal against the Germans went around the world in minutes with exciting stories. She went viral. She paralyzed her country. “That goal is from the street, from the neighborhood, it’s what I learned playing as a child,” said Caicedo. Similarities with Marta, many.

“Today it seems to me that if one analyzes the present of Linda Caicedo and what she has done this last year playing the three World Cups and playing the Copa América scoring goals in all competitions, one would say if you make me compare by present I would say that she” , says Juliana Salazar Meza, presenter at ESPN Argentina.

Linda Caicedo, striker for Real Madrid, is different. She shows her talent just by seeing her for a few minutes in the green. Speed, change of pace, dribbling, diagonals and always with the ball glued to the foot. Her game drives any rival crazy. She unbalances any defense.

Although today ends an incomparable era for Marta (Brazil), the chapter also opens for a new name in South American football: Linda Caicedo. They win, we all win.

Round of 16 Tuesday, August 8:

Colombia vs. Jamaica (3:00 am Peruvian time – DirecTV)