It is a moment of transition for the Orlando Pride, but a franchise fixture isn't going anywhere.
The NWSL club has signed forward Barbra Banda to an extension that will keep her in Central Florida through 2029, the team announced Monday, Sept. 14.
"I am very happy to continue my journey with Pride," Banda said in a news release. "I want to thank my teammates, coaches, staff and the fans for believing in me and supporting me every day. Orlando has become a special place for me, and I am excited to keep fighting for this club and win more trophies together.”
The Pride are currently 11th in NWSL, seven points out of the eighth place position and the final playoff place that comes with it. That led the team to move on from manager Seb Hines, who had
coached the team since 2022.
But part of the Pride's challenges this year was the absence of Banda, who spent much of the summer representing Zambia at the Women's African Cup of Nations. Even so, she is second in the league with 16 goals scored in 20 matches played after notching a double in Friday's 2-2 draw with the Kansas City Current.
One of the top forwards in the world, Banda joined Orlando from Chinese club Shanghai Shengli in 2024 for a fee that was the second-highest ever in the women's game at the time. The money paid off, with Banda helping the Pride to the 2024 NWSL Championship and NWSL Shield.
"Barbra is a cornerstone of everything we are building at the Pride,” Caitlin Carducci, Orlando Pride VP of soccer operations and general manager, said in the news release. “She is one of the most dynamic players in world football and her impact on our club has been extraordinary from the moment she arrived in Orlando. As we continue to compete for championships, it is critical that we not only attract top talent but also create an environment where the world’s best players want to stay and build their careers."
While the Pride did not share the mechanism in their announcement, multiple media reports indicate the 26-year-old joined as part of the league's High Impact Player (HIP) mechanism, put into place before the 2026 season to help clubs retain top talent - with Trinity Rodman notably staying with the Washington Spirit after the rule was passed.
Players need to meet a specific list of achievements to qualify, but Banda ticks all of those boxes. She recently landed on the top 30 list for Ballon d'Or Féminin, awarded to the top woman's player in the world as adjudged by a media panel assembled by the magazine France Football.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Orlando Pride announce contract extension for star forward Barbra Banda
