Full name Marileia dos Santos Name Marileia Santos Playing position Role Footballer | Years Team Height 1.68 m 1995–1997 Torino Position Forward | |
Date of birth (1963-11-19) 19 November 1963 (age 52) Place of birth Valenca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
Mariléia dos Santos (born 19 November 1963, in Valença, Rio de Janeiro), commonly known as Michael Jackson, is a former Brazilian footballer who played as a striker for the Brazil women's national football team.
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Early life
Mariléia dos Santos had 10 siblings, and all liked football, making her chose the sport. The nickname Michael Jackson was an homage to the recording artist, given by her teammates. Speaking in May 1999, United States player Julie Foudy did not see much resemblance: "She didn't really look like Michael Jackson, but she did wear one glove."
Career
Michael Jackson begun her career at EC Radar, and in 1988 she and her club represented Brazil at the FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament in Guangdong and finished in third place.
After her appearance with Brazil in the 1995 World Cup, Michael Jackson accepted a contract offer from Italian Serie A club Torino. She was the first Brazilian footballer to play overseas.
Michael Jackson played for the Brazilian women's national team in the first two editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup, in 1991 and 1995, as well as the Olympic debut of women's football at the 1996 Olympics.
Retirement
Michael Jackson retired from playing aged 46, with a reported 1574 goals to her credit. In 2011, she took a job at a newly created woman's football division of the Brazilian Ministry of Sports, helping develop more tournaments for the mostly neglected female version.
She was named equal third in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) South America's best Women's Footballer of the Century list.