Tearful Exit: Brazil Football Great Marta Sees Red

PARIS, Aug 1 (Bernama-dpa) -- Brazilian legend Marta on Wednesday left the football pitch in tears as her career with the national team most likely ended on a sad note, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

A red card in a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the group final at the Olympic Games may be the end of the 38-year-old's illustrious international career. 

Although Brazil finished third in their group and qualified for the quarter-finals of the Olympic tournament, Marta is likely to be suspended for at least two matches after getting a straight red card against Spain and would therefore not be available to her team again until the final at the earliest. 

The striker was completely distraught after her red card. She left the pitch in tears in the dying minutes of the first half after being shown the red card for a high kick on Spain's Olga Cardona more appropriate to a tatami than a football pitch.

The six-time FIFA best player of the year, who had announced her retirement from the national team before the tournament, is playing in her sixth Olympic Games. 

She won Olympic silver at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, losing to the United States on both occasions, and came closest to World Cup glory in 2007 when Brazil lost to Germany.

Marta is Brazil's record goalscorer and for many years was regarded as one of the biggest stars in women's football as well as being considered one of the sport's trailblazers.

-- BERNAMA-dpa