After 185 appearances, including six World Cups and six Olympics, Brazil great Marta said farewell to international soccer on Saturday. Olympic gold eluded her to the end. At the age of 38, Marta had said ahead of the Paris Games that it would be her last major tournament with the national team. There was to be no perfect ending for a player who has been a flag-bearer for the women's game " a 1-0 defeat to the United States in the Olympic final consigning her to silver once again. It will have been an all-too familiar feeling for the six-time world player of the year. The U.S. has proved a frequent roadblock to her international ambitions. Add Paris 2024 to Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

Also Read: "The ball will go outside the ground like we used to play in Shivaji Park", says Vinod Kambli