Marta Pereira da Costa: Where Fado Meets Football

In a world where passion flows through chords and crowds, Marta is a bridge between two great loves of Portugal — Fado and Football. From packed stadiums to intimate stages, her journey with the Portuguese guitar has been anything but conventional. The first woman to professionally master the instrument, she carries its history with pride and plays it with feeling, power, and defiance.

We caught up with Marta to talk about destiny, club loyalty, and how the beautiful game and the haunting sound of fado are more alike than you’d think. From João Pinto masterclasses to performing on crutches, this is a story of resilience, rhythm, and red-and-white devotion.

Let’s take it back — what first pulled you towards the Portuguese guitar? Was there a moment it felt like more than just an instrument?

I was pulled towards the Portuguese guitar by my father, who is passionate about fado music and the sound of the Portuguese guitar. He wanted me to learn and play it. It was only after my first lesson, and after putting my hands on the instrument, it called my attention. I was 18 at the time.

You’ve made your mark in a space where women haven’t always been represented — has that shaped your approach to your craft?

I think that because I am a woman, my approach to Portuguese guitar is very distinct. I do not have the same speed and endurance as a male guitarist. The way that I set myself apart is reflected in the way I play, by exploring the sensitivity, the feminine emotional side and the delicateness and beauty in music.

Football and Fado are both part of the soul of Portugal. Do you see parallels between the two?

Yes, both draw crowds and are extremely important to the Portuguese. We have an expression in Portugal: Football, Fado and Fátima - Portugal is the country of the 3 F's.

Fátima is a place of great religious importance to many Portuguese and one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the world.

Football is the most popular sport in Portugal, and it is almost a religion. It is part of the Portuguese lives, and we have legendary clubs like Benfica, Porto or Sporting. Babies are often signed up to clubs at birth by their parents, who are die-hard fans.

Fado is the expression of the Portuguese soul, it is passed down from generation to generation, and brings together those who sing, those who play and those who listen.

So yes, Football and Fado are two great passions of the Portuguese.

You’re Benfica through and through — what’s the emotional connection there? What does the club mean to you on a personal level?

I grew up going to Benfica games with my father, godfather and cousins. It was a ritual every 15 days. It is a passion that is born and grows and that cannot be explained. I believe until the final whistle that we can win, often against all odds. Since I travel a lot, I can't always go to the stadium, but it is an emotion to experience the inferno of the Luz stadium. I started playing football when I was 8, and at the time, I used to play mainly with boys. It was only when I was older in college that I met other girls with the same passion as me. I can sympathise with the other big clubs, and recognise with fair play when they play good football. But my heart belongs to Benfica until I die!

Growing up, was there a match, a player, or even a goal that felt like a fado song in motion?

There was an epic game in 1994 in which Benfica won the championship after beating Sporting in Alvalade by 3-6. Benfica turned the score around twice. It was an amazing game. My favorite player at the time, João Pinto, played the game of his life, scored a hat-trick and even got 10/10 classification in that game.

In this case, the word Fado means destiny, and in that game Benfica traced its destiny and won the championship. I was 11 years old. I have never forgotten that day. I went to school the next day wearing a Benfica shirt.

You’ve toured the world with your music — does football ever find its way into your travels or performances?

No, unfortunately I have never seen a football match in a stadium outside of Portugal yet. I would love to feel the energy experienced in other iconic stadiums around the world. I am sure that will happen in the future.

There’s something powerful about a full stadium and a fado stage — different kinds of noise, but both full of feeling. How do you see that?

The amount of energy involved in both cases is exciting and powerful. When I'm on stage, I receive all the energy from the audience, and it feeds me and inspires me to deliver all of my soul on stage. It is an intense and emotional process and I leave the stage with my heart full. At the same time, in a stadium, players also receive the vibrant support of their fans. And this support, we say, is like the 13th player on the field, it drives the team to grow, to fight harder, to give it their all on the field. The power of the audience is incredible, magical and inspiring.

If your guitar was a footballer, who would it be? Flair, control, elegance — who comes to mind?

From the old times I would say Zidane for his class. Nowadays I would say Bernardo Silva for his tactic intelligence and control of the ball! As a woman football player I would say Kika for her passion and talent.

"We have an expression in Portugal: Football, Fado and Fátima - Portugal is the country of the 3 F's."

Do you think Portuguese culture gets the recognition it deserves globally — musically, creatively, or in football?

I can say on my experience that unfortunately there is not enough support from our government for Culture. If we are not able to acknowledge the importance of it within, the more difficult it is to present it to the world.

I believe Culture, amongst other things, is what keeps our history and nation’s identity alive, it is a gateway to help display and celebrate our country and people’s traditions, our language, our customs, and our art.

Fado is our flagship, is the music of the Portuguese soul and is one of the most exported "products". We take the sound of the Portuguese guitar and the Portuguese language around the world. Many times, artists end up being recognized internationally before they are even recognised in Portugal. Despite of the lack of support from the government for Culture in general, we still produce great talent, names like Mariza, Carminho, Ana Moura, etc. that conquer big audiences around the world.

The Portuguese guitar, as a traditional instrument, has a long way to go to occupy a place where other traditional instruments from other countries already stand: flamenco guitar in Spain, bandoneon in tango in Argentina, bandolin in Brazilian chorinho, etc.

In football, I believe we are respected, recognized and valued worldwide. We have players who have left their mark in the history of football over the years, such as Eusébio, Figo or Cristiano Ronaldo. We have more and more great Portuguese players making their presence felt and playing decisively in the biggest clubs in the world: Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Rafael Leão, Diogo Jota, João Félix, etc.

Gathering all that talent and puting it to work a team in our national team, I believe the perspectives for the future competitions are good and Portugal is now stronger than ever. And we just showed it and won the Nations League against Spain. We played with our soul, and we deserved it.

Internally, the Portuguese league and refereeing still have a lot to improve to make more competitive and healthy competitions though.

Being a woman in a traditionally male dominated space — whether in music or football — comes with pressure. How have you turned that into strength?

In the beginning, it was hard not to be overcome by pressure. And I was suffering with my mistakes and afraid of the critics as Fado is a very conservative world. I work hard every day to be the best version of myself, to overcome my limitations, to learn more every day. Cristiano Ronaldo's determination and work capacity are an inspiration to me. Knowing that I give my all on stage and in my daily work, that is my strength. My compositions and performances, which distinguish me, is where I leave my mark, and are also my strength. The rest is accepting imperfections naturally and putting my heart into music. As it is impossible to please everyone and there's always a lot of easy and toxic criticism, it's about looking ahead focused, with a great desire to learn and to grow, to make my own path, to be moved by music and to move the people who listen to me. And that is the biggest reward.

What would you say to young girls watching you, whether they want to play guitar or ball?

Have fun, work hard. Be fearless and trust in your capacities. Our strength is in our mind. Our passion moves us, and our will makes us get there. Our determination and hardwork makes us go further. There are no impossibles and we don't accept "that is not for you". We draw our limits and push them further.

If you could bring your music into the world of football — maybe even perform at a match or collaborate with a player — what would that look like?

Ahh it would be crazy awesome to perform in a football stadium! I'd love to collaborate with Billie Eilish or John Mayer. That would be fantastic and completely out of the box for me...

If you are referring to perform as a football player, then it would be cool to gather women that are also in music around the world and are fans of football. I'd love to be N10 count me in!

What role does football play in your day-to-day? Is it still a big part of your life beyond the stage?

Not anymore... much to my regret. I'm just a spectator.  I used to play a long time ago in my college team, and a few years ago I'd play often with friends, but I sprained my ankle to a third degree and spent 8 months recovering and performing on crutches. I thought I couldn't risk it anymore... But every time I see a ball my eyes light up. I play with my children and their friends, and they tell them I'm the coolest mom because I can actually play. I go to the Estádio da Luz when I can and I get together with friends at home for the big derbies or to support the national team. On my travels I always find a way to watch the games.

What’s exciting you right now in your art? Where do you see your sound going next?

I am excited about being able to travel and see the world, to meet new places, new audiences, new cultures and also the traditional and typical cuisines of each place, I love it.

I am excited about being able to build bridges, make connections, jam with other musicians, get to know other sonorities. Meeting people and sharing this passion for music is priceless. Taking Fado and the sound of the Portuguese Guitar to the world and bringing the world to Fado, I always come back richer.

I am excited to move people through my music and meet them at the end of each show.

I am currently touring in Costa Rica, Panama and Brazil. I'd like to continue to discover the world and let the world discover my portuguese guitar. I hope I present this project soon in London, Paris, Berlim, Amesterdam, and further away in Japan.

Follow Marta on socials here.