Formiga played in her final international match with the Brazilian national team on Thursday, but only saw the field for a mere 15 minutes.
When asked why she didn’t start the legendary midfielder, national team coach Pia provided the following statement:
“The reason Formiga played 15 minutes is because she is not the future of the national team,” she said. “And we have to build that future. She played and almost scored, it was an incredible 15 minutes.”
The 43-year-old has competed in seven World Cups and seven Olympics, both of which are world records. At the Tokyo Olympics in July, she became the first player to compete in seven Olympic Games, having played in every Olympics since women’s soccer’s debut in 1996.
For her final game, Formiga’s mother, Dona Celeste, flew to see her make her final appearance. Celeste, who is afraid of flying, had reportedly never seen her daughter play in person before.
⚠️ This is emotional!
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) November 25, 2021
👩👧 A mother, who is terrified of flying, has never seen her daughter play live. Today Dona Celeste faced her fears and flew to Manaus to see Formiga make the final appearance of her extraordinary Brazil career 💛
♾ #FormigaEternapic.twitter.com/fNCcb3cWp5
Legendary Brazilian midfielder Formiga is set to play her final match with the national team this month, the Brazilian national team announced Tuesday.
“The legendary Formiga will say goodbye to the women’s national team,” the confederation said on social media. “It is a historic moment for a life dedicated to the yellow shirt and to soccer. We love you.”
A legend of the game and a truly remarkable career. Congratulations, Formiga! https://t.co/cFXscT0Am4 pic.twitter.com/e9KFokYk8G
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) November 10, 2021
The 43-year-old has competed in seven World Cups and seven Olympics, both of which are world records. Having played in every Olympics since women’s soccer’s debut in 1996, she became the first women’s player to compete in seven Olympic Games during the Tokyo Olympics in July.
The most-capped player in the history of the Brazilian national team, Formiga has played in 233 matches. Having made her debut at 17 years old at the 1995 World Cup, her final game will come in a friendly against India on Nov. 25.
To put it in perspective: Playing football was still illegal for women in Brazil when Formiga was born in 1978.
Throughout her extensive career, the midfielder has won two Olympic silver medals (2004, 2008) and was part of the Brazil team that lost to Germany in the 2007 World Cup final.