Brazil’s Geyse: ‘Marta has her story built and I am building mine’
Geyse would rather play football for hours than speak to journalists. She is an introvert, but when paired with those she feels comfortable with – such as her Brazil teammates at the World Cup – she becomes a dancer, singer and prankster. And, even though she may be shy at first, she is pretty confident when talking about her dreams.
“Winning the World Cup and becoming the first player to win a World Cup and a Champions League in the same year,” the Barcelona forward says of those dreams from Brazil’s training camp in Australia. That ambition is very much alive – she was part of the Barça squad that secured the Women’s Champions League in June and is about to play in her second World Cup.
Geyse’s career started in Brazilian futsal – and after she moved to the grass, she played for União Desportiva Alagoana, Centro Olímpico and Corinthians before moving to Europe. She then played for Benfica and Madrid CFF. Last season was her first at Barcelona.
Geyse believes her move to the Blaugrana changed her career and perspective on football. “[It] developed me so much personally and as a player. I am super-grateful to them for growing me into what I needed to be in the national team and remain there. To play my second World Cup being physically well is really important, and thanks to Barcelona I’ll be really well to help the national team to achieve our dreams.”
After playing her first World Cup at 21, Geyse feels time and experience have helped her to improve. She caught the attention of big clubs in Europe after being the top scorer in the Spanish league in 2021-22. Even though her path almost led her to England, in the end it was a no-brainer.
“Before Barcelona, I had a pre-contract with Arsenal,” she says. “But one day I was hanging out with friends and my agent called, saying that Barcelona were interested in me but they would only get back to me on Monday. I thought there was no harm in waiting, so on Monday they decided and I signed the pre-contract with them. I didn’t have a second thought – it was Barcelona.
“It is an amazing feeling to be a Barça player. They are the best team in the world and it is a dream come true, not only for me but for those around me, those who have been by my side since the beginning.”
It all began more than 4,000 miles from Barcelona. Geyse was born in the town of Maragogi, in the state of Alagoas – the province Marta also comes from. Maragogi is known to be a beach paradise, with sky-blue waters and white sand. It is a small community,
and Geyse is now one of their most prominent names. “What I miss the most is my family, the people that I love,” she says of life in Europe. “I’m from a small town, so when I’m there people know who I am. It’s so rewarding to be recognised in your town.
“I also miss the food and the weather,” she says with a laugh. “I’m from the north-east of Brazil, so it’s sunny all year round. [When I moved to Europe] the cold weighed on me a bit. But after a while I got used to the weather, to the food, and nowadays I’m well adapted to Europe.”
Geyse believes this World Cup is a chance not only for her to show her work but to improve conditions for younger players. She says winning a World Cup would go beyond fulfilling individual dreams – it would be a chance for Brazilian clubs to appreciate and invest more in the women’s game. And, for her, Barcelona are an example of how to do it the right way.
“Barcelona invest so much in women’s football. I think clubs in Brazil need to take Barcelona, Lyon and the biggest clubs in the world as an example. Outside of Brazil, to me, Barcelona are the best team, while in Brazil I think Corinthians are the best. So I think clubs in Brazil should look up to Corinthians as an example, and Corinthians should look up to European clubs as well.”
Living in Spain, as a Black woman, Geyse felt hurt when she watched the racist attacks against Vinícius Júnior, who plays for Real Madrid. She recalls that another of her compatriots, the Atlético Madrid forward Ludmila, once denounced a security guard at a store for following her around so she would not steal anything.
“To see him going through that in almost every game was not easy,” Geyse says of Vinícius. “He shouldn’t have to go through that, no player should. Yes, I definitely support him. I stand with Vini. I know that Ludmila has been through that too, both on the pitch and in a supermarket. It’s awful to feel that you have to suffer because you have darker skin.”
As a girl growing up in the early 2000s who loved to play football, Geyse was inspired by the achievements of the Brazil squad who were runners-up in the 2007 World Cup. More specifically, by a legendary trio.
“Marta, Cristiane and Formiga were always the ones I saw playing for the national team. I always said I wanted to play with them, and I achieved that. I shared the pitch with Cristiane for a while. I listened to Formiga; she would often give me advice to follow the right path. Fu is an amazing person – I have nothing bad to say about her. I would always listen to her, because she was extraordinary, not only as a person but as a player. And in the national team she was always a mother figure. And sharing the pitch with Marta is also wonderful. To be with her every day is amazing.”
Marta is one of the players Geyse most draws inspiration from. Being from the same state and skilful offensive players, comparisons arise. Geyse says: “Marta is Marta and Geyse is
Geyse. Marta has her story built and I am building mine. Yes, I want to be the best in the world, but I need to work a lot to achieve this dream.”
Although the World Cup games are in the early morning for fans in Brazil, Geyse believes the people will rally behind the team. “For those who love football, there’s no time difference. Brazilians love football, and I know they’ll wake up early to follow us. We’ll always have their support and we have to do our best, for us and for the Brazilian fans, for their sacrifice for waking up early to watch us, we’ll enter the pitch and do our best there.”