• The defender walks away having made 140 appearances for the Italy national side

• For a new generation in Italy, Sara Gama was more than just a footballer

• Celebrated as a trailblazer for the professional women's game in Italy

A true pioneer of the women's game in Italy, Sara Gama began her football journey with her oldest friends and a lightweight Batman ball on a rented-out tennis court. She would go on to become the ultimate superhero playing in settings she would never have dreamed of.

Gama made her international debut in 2006 and led the defence for 18 years, embodying the best of Italian values and inspiring the next generation of female players.

"It's been an unbelievable journey that began almost 20 years ago in the national team's youth set-up, full of ups and downs and big changes. I've given it my all and my decision to retire was taken together with the manager, who has stood by me ever since the decision was made,” Gama told the Italian Football Federation ahead of her final game. 

At the end of her final appearance against Ireland at Florence's Viola Park on 23 February, 2024, her team-mates paid tribute to her by wearing shirts with her No3 on the back.

Turning out for Brescia, Paris Saint-Germain and – most notably, with over 100 appearances – Juventus Women, her physical and technical capabilities and mental fortitude have taken her to the very top of the domestic game as well as internationally.

From an early age, Gama's pace saw her earn the nickname "Speedy". She also possessed vision, tenacity and an ability to read the game that were matched by her determination and leadership skills.

Her indomitable spirit enabled her to explode onto the Serie A scene and continue her career as an amateur while pursuing her studies that would eventually see her graduate with a degree in languages and foreign literature in 2017.

Gama's first taste of the professional game did not come until 2013, when she joined PSG after a brilliant season for Brescia. Two years later, she returned to Brescia and became a driving force for professionalism in women's football, demanding and securing social security and welfare safeguards for players.

But she truly came to prominence with Juventus Women, her presence at one of the best-supported clubs in Italy affording her more of a media platform. Appointed captain on signing, she won the Scudetto in her first year and helped establish Juve as trophy winners and UEFA Women's Champions League regulars.

During her time at Juventus, her fame increased and so did her status within the Italian national team. In 2019, coached by Milena Bertolini, le Azzurre qualified for their first FIFA Women's World Cup™ for 20 years.

Italy exceeded all expectations and produced their best-ever World Cup by reaching the quarter-finals, inspiring a nation along the way, particularly when a brace from Barbara Bonansea secured them a win over Australia in their opening group match.

Gama was a surprise absentee from the squad for the 2023 Women's World Cup. She discovered she hadn't made Bertolini's final selection just a few days before their departure for Australia and New Zealand, despite having taken part in their pre-tournament training camp.

But that wasn't the end of her international career. With Andrea Soncin replacing Bertolini after the Women's World Cup, Gama returned to feature in the UEFA Women's Nations League before bowing out in the friendly against Ireland in Florence.

A tough, trailblazing, multi-lingual icon of the game, Gama is one of only eight female players in the Italian Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps the most politically significant moment of her career came when she was asked to speak before Italian president Sergio Mattarella after the 2019 World Cup.

"I wear the No3 on my shirt", Gama said. "And the third article in our wonderful constitution states that 'All citizens possess equal social dignity and are equal before the law, irrespective of sex, race, language, religion, political orientation, and personal and social conditions'. Thank you, Mr President."