*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:42, 13 November 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13:42, 13 November 2023 (UTC)
In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Rozeira and the second or paternal family name is de Souza Silva.
At club level, Cristiane has played professionally in France, Germany, Sweden, the United States, Russia and South Korea, as well as in her native Brazil.
Cristiane had her international breakthrough at the Olympic football tournament in Athens 2004.[8] Brazil reached the final, which they lost to the United States, but still achieved their biggest international success until then, by winning the Olympic silver medal. With five goals, Cristiane was honored as the tournament's top scorer along with Germany's Birgit Prinz.[6]
In February 2005, Cristiane transferred from Atlético Juventus to the German women's Bundesliga club 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam.[6] During the 2005–06 season she won the Bundesliga title and the German cup competition with Potsdam, although she was often used as a substitute and had difficulties to adjust to the physical play in Germany. In the following season she was transferred to the league rival VfL Wolfsburg, where she scored seven goals during the 2006–07 season,[9] but her problems to adapt to the style of play in Germany continued.[6] In August 2007, Cristiane did not renew her contract in Wolfsburg and returned to Brazil to support the newly created Brazilian cup competition, the Copa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino.[10]
Cristiane was the top scorer at the 2006 Sudamericano Femenino with 12 goals, even though Brazil competed with a weakened team and only finished second behind Argentina for the first time after four consecutive title defenses.[6] In 2007, she scored eight goals at the Pan American Games, hosted by Brazil. In the final, the Brazilian national team defeated the United States Under-20 squad before a crowd of 68,000 at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.[11]
At the 2007 Women's World Cup Cristiane was voted the third-best player of the tournament. She scored five goals and she was the second best scorer of her team next to her strike partner, Marta.[6] She was involved in a collision that resulted in a controversial red card for Shannon Boxx of the United States in the semifinal. Brazil reached the Women's World Cup final for the first time which they lost to defending champions Germany. Cristiane came in third for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award.[12]
On 21 August 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, Cristiane was substituted in what looked like a repeat of the 2004 Olympics Women's Football final in that Brazil once again lost to the USA team in the final to end up with the silver. The match ended 1–0 after extra time. For the second straight Olympics, she scored 5 goals and was the tournament's leading scorer; unlike the 2004 tournament, Cristiane was the outright leading scorer.
On 28 August 2008, Cristiane joined Corinthians to play in Campeonato Paulista.[14] On 30 August 2008, during her debut as a Corinthians player, she scored her first goal for the club, helping her team beat São José 3–1 in the Campeonato Paulista.[15]
She returned to Chicago for the 2010 season, but showed less impressive form and was made a free agent after only scoring three goals in 24 appearances.[19] Chicago Red Stars suspended operations shortly afterwards and Cristiane decided to play the 2011 season in Brazil.[20]
2009–present
Cristiane signed a three-month loan contract with Santos on 14 August 2009 to play in the Copa Libertadores.[21] She helped her club win both competitions, and scored a goal in the Copa do Brasil final.[22]
In September 2011, she joined Russian Champions League contestant WFC Rossiyanka. A year later she moved to São José Esporte Clube of São José dos Campos, Brazil. Early in 2013 it was announced that Cristiane would join the Icheon Daekyo WFC (Daekyo Kangaroos) in South Korea's WK-League. She quit South Korea shortly afterwards, in order to join Centro Olímpico in Brazil.
In October 2017, Cristiane was one of five Brazil players to quit international football, disgruntled at pay and conditions, and the Brazilian Football Confederation's sacking of head coach Emily Lima.[25] She soon relented and indicated a willingness to return to the national team in February 2018, ahead of the 2018 Copa América Femenina.[26]
On 16 January 2020, after a one-year spell at São Paulo, Cristiane returned to Santos.[27] On 10 December 2022, she renewed her contract until the end of 2024.[28]
On 13 January 2024, Cristiane rescinded her contract with Santos,[29] and was announced at Flamengo the following day.[30]
Personal life
Cristiane is openly lesbian, and has been in a relationship with Ana Paula Garcia Silva, a lawyer, since February 2019. On 15 August 2020, the two married in São Paulo, Brazil.[31] Her son Bento was born on 26 April 2021.[32]
Has scored 2 hat tricks in Olympic play, including the fastest in Olympic history. Cristiane, Barbra Banda, Birgit Prinz and Christine Sinclair are the only four women to have ever scored a hat trick in the Olympics.