Orlando Pride have secured the long-term future of Barbra Banda, with the Zambia international signing a new contract through the 2029 season.
The 26-year-old forward has become one of Orlando’s most important players since arriving in the NWSL in 2024. Banda has scored 41 goals and provided 11 assists in 62 appearances across all competitions for the Pride, while helping the club win the NWSL Shield and Championship in her first season. Her new agreement keeps one of the world’s leading forwards in Orlando for another three seasons.
Transfer snapshot
Player: Barbra Banda
Club: Orlando Pride
Position: Forward
Age: 26
Nationality: Zambia
Contract: Through the 2029 season
2026: 16 goals and three assists across all competitions
Orlando record: 41 goals and 11 assists in 62 appearances across all competitions
Banda commits future to Orlando Pride
Barbra Banda joined Orlando from Shanghai Shengli in March 2024 and immediately played a major role in the most successful season in the club’s history.
She scored 13 goals and registered six assists during the 2024 NWSL regular season before adding another four goals in the playoffs.
Banda then scored the winning goal in the NWSL Championship Final and was named Championship MVP as Orlando completed the Shield and Championship double. After signing her new contract, Banda said she was pleased to continue her career with the Pride.
“Orlando has become a special place for me, and I am excited to keep fighting for this club and win more trophies together.”
Her second season was disrupted by injury, but she still led Orlando with eight goals from 16 regular-season appearances in 2025. That campaign also included the first hat-trick in Pride history as Orlando reached the NWSL playoff semifinals for a second consecutive season.
Record-breaking 2026 season
Banda has returned to prolific form in 2026. The striker has scored 16 goals across all competitions, setting a new Orlando Pride single-season club record. The previous record of 13 was originally set by Marta in 2017 and matched by Banda during the 2024 campaign.
Her 16 goals also make Banda only the fourth player in NWSL history to reach that total in a single season, while she currently sits second in the Golden Boot race.
Banda has also contributed three assists this season and is tied for Orlando’s team lead in that category. Those numbers take her overall Pride record to 41 goals and 11 assists in 62 appearances across all competitions.
Banda remains central for Zambia
Barbra Banda’s goalscoring form has also continued at international level. The Orlando striker captained Zambia at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and finished as her country’s leading scorer with five goals in three matches.
Four of those goals came during Zambia’s 6–0 victory over Egypt. Banda was directly involved in six goals in the match, also providing an assist and winning a penalty that resulted in another goal. Her four goals equalled the WAFCON record for most scored by one player in a single match.
Banda has received significant individual recognition since moving to the United States. She was named to the 2024 NWSL Best XI First Team and became the first African player to win the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award.
She has also been selected for the FIFPRO Women’s World 11 in both 2024 and 2025 and has received a third consecutive Women’s Ballon d’Or nomination in 2026.
With Banda now contracted through 2029, Orlando have ensured that a player central to their rise in the NWSL will remain a major part of the club’s long-term plans.
Source: Orlando Pride
Leave a Reply