Brazilian soccer star Marta has been appointed a U.N. goodwill ambassador in the fight against poverty.
The announcement was made Monday by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the Swedish capital.
The four-time FIFA world women's player of the year was emotional when she spoke of her own struggle with poverty while growing up in Brazil.
''I'm thrilled, very motivated,'' she said. ''I unfortunately had a very difficult childhood and that's something that I had to grow up with, always struggling, fighting, and I think it's perfect to give back.''
Marta used to play for Swedish league team Umea, but now plays for FC Gold Pride in the United States in the Women's Professional Soccer league.
In her new role, Marta will focus on the Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight targets aimed at cutting world poverty in half by 2015.
''I want to feel like I'm doing something for the benefit of poverty and women's empowerment,'' Marta told The Associated Press.
She joins a list of other celebrity athletes as a U.N. goodwill ambassador, including Maria Sharapova and Zinedine Zidane.
