The much-anticipated arrival of Brazilian soccer legend Marta is here.

Flying out of Stockholm, Sweden, she will arrive in Orlando on Thursday evening, according to travel itinerary the five-time FIFA World Player of the Year posted to her Instagram account.

Many wondered if she would join the Orlando Pride in time for their National Women’s Soccer League home opener at 4 p.m. Saturday against the Washington Spirit, despite the club assuring she would be on the field for the match. Her social media post confirmed a previous Orlando Sentinel report that she was expected to arrive Thursday.

Instagram/martavsilva10 Soccer superstar Marta, the Pride's newest signing, will arrive in Orlando on Thursday Soccer superstar Marta, the Pride's newest signing, will arrive in Orlando on Thursday (Instagram/martavsilva10)

“There will be no doubt come a week from Saturday, she’ll be on the field wearing an Orlando Pride shirt,” coach Tom Sermanni said during the team’s media day last week.

The Pride signed Marta two weeks ago, and had hoped to have her in place before Sunday’s season-opener in Portland, but international paperwork delayed her arrival.

She joins the Pride on a two-year contract with an option for a third.

Marta, 31, was under contract with FC Rosengård in Sweden, which was in the midst of UEFA Champions League play when rumors of her departure began to spread on social media last month.

She is widely considered the greatest women’s soccer player of all time, and after officially signing with the Pride, club executives told the Orlando Sentinel they had been pursuing her since the inception of the professional women’s side before the 2016 season.

Marta is expected to immediately raise the Pride’s ticket and jersey sales, international appeal and level of play.

She joins a roster already stacked with well-known names, such as U.S. women's national team players Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris, Australian internationals Steph Catley, Laura Alleway and Alanna Kennedy and members of the Brazilian national team, Monica and Camila.

Team USA forward Alex Morgan also is expected to return this summer after playing in France. The joint attacking power of Marta and Morgan already is being slated as potentially the most lethal in NWSL.

ardelgallo@orlandosentinel.com