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They were the lyrics that made a queen cry. Marta may have been at her sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup™, six The Best FIFA Women’s Player awards on her otherwordly résumé, but she broke down in tears as the Brazilian national anthem boomed around Adelaide before their debut.
“I didn’t think I would, but it just happened,” admitted ‘The Queen’. “It’s always super emotional hearing the national anthem. I always have a lump in my throat. You try not to cry, but I couldn’t stop myself.”
The girl in the Brazil armband next month, when they make their FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™ debut, knows she has as much hope stopping herself blubbering as the ‘Hino Nacional Brasileiro’ plays as IR Iran do of a clean sheet against a side that, astonishingly, has never failed to score in 24 years of playing official matches. What chance does Taty Debiasi stand, after all, when she cried when the competition was created, cried when its draw was made, and even cried when Wilson Saboia announced his squad.
The CMB fixa discusses facing Italy, her long-time home, hails Emilly, Renatinha, Irene Samper and Janice Silva, and assesses the Philippines 2025 trophy race.
Taty Debiasi: I don‘t know if it’s the best, but I think I’ve been able to maintain a pretty high level of consistency for many years now. I feel privileged because it’s not easy. At 38 years old, amid so much quality – the level here in Italy has improved a lot, the championship is very strong – to be able to reach finals and win titles with my club and the national team, I’m really satisfied. I think I’m close to being at the best form of my career. I wouldn’t say I’m there quite yet because, in my head, I plan on being in the best form of my career in seven weeks’ time!
I’m really excited. I’m particularly excited because Italy and Brazil have never faced each other. It will be an unprecedented game. I know how hard Italy work. I follow them, I have had and have several team-mates from the Italian national team. I’m aware of their ability. I’m excited, I’m curious about how the game will play out. I think it will be really fun to play in and a spectacle for the supporters.
(laughs) We had some banter. She said ‘I can’t believe it’, but it was all light-hearted. It’s healthy competition and we’ll both do the best for our teams.
She’s an amazing player. Technically, she’s one of the best in the world. She’s unique. One on one, she’s extremely good. She’s an incredible girl, an incredible person. Women’s futsal benefits greatly from having Renata. She’s some talent.
My God! It’s good that Emilly is Brazilian. She’s phenomenal, the best player in the world. She’s a rare talent. She’s really complete, she’s good at everything. Actually, she’s not just good at everything; she’s really good at everything. She’s one of the best in the world at one on ones and finishing, she’s very strong defensively, very intense. She’s not the best player in the world for nothing. Emilly is incomparable.
Spain and Portugal are very strong opponents. We know how hard they work. They last time we played Spain and Portugal, we saw how difficult they are to play against. For years we’ve had very close games against them, and I think this will continue. Spain are very good technically. I think Brazil against Spain is a very open game, a real spectacle for supporters. As well as being good technically, Portugal are very strong physically and they try to impose this style of play. I think these two national teams are really good, but I think Brazil are capable of taking them on. I think Brazil have to focus on Brazil. We have a lot of quality. Brazil always respect every opponent, but we have to think about playing our own game regardless of our opponents.
I think Irene [Samper] from Spain. She’s very quick, very good on the ball, really difficult to mark. I think she’s playing at a really high standard right now. For Portugal, I think it’s Janice [Silva]. She’s a really strong and talented pivot. I played with her here in Italy and I saw how hard it is to play against her on a daily basis. She’s an outstanding player.
We know that there are always favourites, but in a competition as important as this, a World Cup, surprises can always happen. Matches could be unbalanced technically, but we could see surprise results. We always have to be switched on, always have to give our best to avoid slipping up. I think Spain, Portugal and Brazil are three powers – I’d put Italy in there too – but I think some other teams have the potential to fight for the title. We’ve seen how strong Argentina, Colombia, the Asian teams are.
(laughs) I messaged Amandinha, some of the other girls about this. When I watched the draw, I was really emotional, crying my eyes out. I was really emotional when the squad was called up too. I wrote, ‘If I’m like this during the draw, imagine what I’ll be like at the World Cup!’ This World Cup will be very emotional for everybody – every player from every team. It’s every player’s lifelong dream. Everyone will want to enjoy the competition to the fullest. It’s super exciting. When we hear the national anthem, it will be very hard to hold back our emotion. I’m sure I’ll cry. What we’ll have to do is not let this emotion, everything we’re feeling, get in the way. I’m sure we won’t because we’re experienced, but it’s going to be really, really emotional.
I’m always confident in Brazil. In every competition we play, I’m always really confident because I look around me and see Amandinha and Emilly and all these amazing players in the Brazil shirt. I think, ‘It’s up to us. If we do our best, if will be very difficult for our opponents.’ Obviously you always have to be careful, respect your opponents, but I prefer to think about Brazil’s potential.
