Marcelinha: I want to bring home a winners’ medal

Marcelinha already has a special football at home: a memento of the 2026 South American U-17 Women’s Championship, where the forward scored a hat-trick against Peru to help Brazil qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026™.

Now aged 15, Marcela Bontorim, as she is officially known, has an even bigger prize in mind for the journey home: a World Cup winners' medal.

“After scoring those three goals [at the South American Championship], I got to take the match ball home. I’ve got it safe. I’d love to bring another ball home from the World Cup. But even more, I want to bring home a winners’ medal,” she said.

Marcelinha’s World Cup story got off to a flying start in Morocco as the forward scored in Brazil’s 6-2 opening win over Canada. She now has her sights set on helping the Seleção win their first-ever title at this age group. But simply pulling on the famous yellow jersey is already a dream come true for a girl who once could only watch from afar.

“My dream was to play for the Seleção, but I never imagined it would actually happen. I used to see the girls getting called up and I really wanted to be there too. Managing to do it was really special. I feel very honoured to be here today,” she stated.

Despite being the youngest player in the squad, Marcelinha has wasted little time making her presence felt. At 15, she faces opponents up to two years older than her and trains alongside team-mates at different stages of their development. The age gap can be a little bit daunting, but it also makes her more determined.

“Playing against girls up to two years older than me makes me a bit nervous, but it makes me want to play even more. I feel really happy and privileged to have been one of the top scorers at the South American Championship, especially in an older age group. I’m still very young, so I’ve got a lot to learn and a lot of growing up to do, but being around the girls every day teaches me a lot.”

From her first kicks to a hat-trick

The forward’s journey began at football schools where most of the players were boys. Opportunities for girls were limited in her hometown of Sao Pedro, in Sao Paulo state, but with her parents’ support, Marcelinha had all the encouragement she needed to keep playing.

“My parents have always supported me. They signed me up to football schools where I played with the boys, because there isn’t much girls’ football in my town. There are very few girls playing. When my parents asked if this was really what I wanted to do with my life, I said yes. So I went for a trial at Ferroviaria and I got in,” she explained.

At Ferroviaria, where she still plays today, Marcelinha continued to develop the versatility she had shown since childhood. Before settling into a forward’s role, she tried out different positions in attack, never losing her appetite for goals. “I used to play as an attacking midfielder in my town, but I loved scoring goals. I started playing on the wing and as a centre-forward, and I started getting a taste for it. Now, I really enjoy playing up front.”

A tactical change during the 2026 South American U-17 Women’s Championship proved pivotal in turning Marcelinha into one of the stars of Brazil’s title-winning campaign. Against Peru, she moved further forward in the second half and struck three times, helping to secure the victory that booked Brazil’s place at the World Cup. She finished the continental championship with four goals in total.

“It was a really difficult match. Both teams were playing well, but in the second half I moved to the centre-forward position. I started receiving more of the ball and managed to score all three goals thanks to my team-mates,” she said.

That performance earned her the ball she now keeps safely at home, and gave her fresh inspiration for her next goal in Morocco: returning with a World Cup winners' medal.

Crédito das fotos: Fabio Souza / CBF