Brazil star Marta: FIFA wouldn't let men play World Cup on turf

The debate over the artificial playing surfaces being used at the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada - though a moot point now that the tournament has kicked off - will not go away.

Brazilian icon Marta, arguably the best female player on the planet, spoke about the enduring turf debate in a recent interview with FourFourTwo, making it clear that she is of the same opinion shared by the 84 women who filed a lawsuit against FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association over the use of the surface prior to the tournament - a lawsuit which was eventually withdrawn.

"I can't see FIFA taking the same decision for the men," the five-time FIFA Women's Player of the Year said. "Prejudice is definitely one of the reasons women's football progresses slowly in Brazil.

"I always dreamed of becoming a football player, but as the structure wasn't the best in Brazil, I had to go abroad to make that dream come true."

Marta, 29, will get her first taste of game action on the artificial playing surface Tuesday, when Brazil opens its hunt for a first-ever World Cup title with a match against South Korea.