ORLANDO, Fla. -- Queen Marta has officially returned to her throne.
And if Thursday's 22-minute SheBelieves Cup cameo was any indication of what is to come in 2023, she looks ready to rule from her Exploria Stadium kingdom with an iron boot.
Returning to her home pitch for the first time in 327 days after sustaining a season-ending knee injury with the Pride last March, Marta took the captain's armband to a raucous applause as she entered as a second-half substitute for her native Brazil in the 68th minute.
Four minutes later, the forward was pumping her fists into the sun-splashed Orlando sky and hugging her teammates in elation as she earned the primary assist on what proved to be the game-winning goal by Debinha in the 72nd minute of a 1-0 victory over Japan.
Simply put: A legendary moment for the six-time World Player of the Year.
"It was amazing to come back here and play for Brazil," Marta said in a video message to Pride fans on the team's official Twitter account, "but I'm going to play soon for Pride, too, so I'll see you soon."
Pride forward Adriana also took the field on her new home pitch, earning a spot in the starting lineup to open the four-team tournament.
Acquired via transfer from Brazilian side Corinthians in January on a three-year deal, the four-time Brazilian Championship winner will enter her first season with Orlando in 2023.
Check out more from the match from around social media:
The Pride open preseason play with a closed-door scrimmage against Gotham FC on Saturday, and will host the 2022 NWSL Championship runner-up Kansas City Current on Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Exploria Stadium.
Fans can claim their free tickets via the RSVP link here.
