Ary Borges has gone a long way, fast. He has accomplished something that neither Pele nor Ronaldinho have done, and his Brazilian superstar colleague Marta has given him great accolades for it.
The 23-year-old exploded into the spotlight in Brazil’s 4-0 thrashing of Panama in Adelaide to start their Women’s World Cup campaign.
She became the first Brazilian player in World Cup history, male or female, to record a hat trick on their tournament debut.
In her youth, she looked up to Marta, who is currently competing in her sixth World Cup and is universally regarded as the best women’s footballer of all time.
Borges made way for her with 15 minutes to go, and the 37-year-old was pleased enough to give her a warm hug.
“Scoring three goals on a debut is not easy, but she was on a different plane,” said Marta, who has scored 115 times for Brazil.
“She almost had four points, with a hat trick and an assist. I felt privileged to take the stage for her.
Borges, an attacking midfielder, came from a troubled background, as she was raised by her grandmother after her parents abandoned her when she was 10 and relocated to Sao Paulo in search of a better life.
When she eventually joined them, her father Dino scoured the city for a club that would give her a chance to shine, ultimately settling on Centro Olimpico.
After playing for Sport Recife and Sao Paulo, she signed with Palmeiras and spent three years there, during which time she scored 34 goals in 83 games.
Her goals in the 2022 semi-final and final propelled Palmeiras to the Copa Libertadores championship, and she was quickly picked up by American team Racing Louisville in the winter.
Jess McDonald, another member of the racing squad and a commentator in Australia, claimed that she could see right away that Borges was exceptional.
I couldn’t be happier for her. I just couldn’t wait for the world to find out the real her,” McDonald said on Optus Sport.
I’ll always remember her first workout with us at Racing Louisville. We knew the Brazilian had arrived when she landed a devastating bicycle kick and said, “Oh.”
I’m extremely happy for her because she’s been on fire from the beginning of the season. After scoring her first goal, her emotional investment in the game became immediately apparent.
Borges, who made her international debut in 2021 and is considered one of Brazil’s rising talents, said it was a lot to take in.
“It’s very emotional for me to look back at everything I’ve done to get this far,” she remarked.
There have been happy times, sad times, and much of time spent reflecting on my roots. To be here is like something out of a dream.