Chapter 13: No Marta, Just Ugly Betty: Soccer in Southern Brazil

When I started writing my sport story I was searching for a way to organize several stories that I had lived. One of the reasons I decided to write on this topic is because I believe it is a political act that can bring greater visibility for women’s soccer in Brazil. Since the 1980s, when women’s soccer restarted after almost 40 years of prohibition, the teams have been struggling to receive financial support and build a solid fan base. They are fighting daily for respect. You may see people writing about women’s soccer in mainstream Brazilian media, but most of them don’t have any knowledge on the topic, or they simply neglect to provide players with a space to voice their daily struggles, disempowering them.