Barbra Banda

Barbra Banda (born 20 March 2000) is a Zambian professional footballer who plays as a striker for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Orlando Pride and captains the Zambia national team.

Banda is widely considered one of the top women's players in the world. She is Africa's all-time top scorer in Olympic football history, having scored three hat tricks at two Olympic Games. She led Zambia to win the 2022 COSAFA Women's Cup, earning the Golden Ball with ten goals. In 2024, she was named African Women's Footballer of the Year, BBC Women's Footballer of the Year and to the FIFPRO Women's World 11.

In 2024, Banda signed with the Pride for the second-highest transfer fee in women's football history at the time. In her first season in the NWSL, she led the Pride to the NWSL Shield, 2024 NWSL Championship, and was named the NWSL Championship Most Valuable Player.

Early life Banda was born in Lusaka, the Zambian capital. She began playing football around the age of seven playing on the streets. Banda was inspired by her father who played football and would encourage her to practise.

Shanghai Shengli, 2020–2023 In January 2020, Banda signed with Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shengli. She scored in the 23rd minute of her debut for the club on 23 August. Banda went on to score 18 goals in 13 league matches to emerge as the 2020 Chinese Women's Super League Golden Boot winner for most goals scored in the league.

Orlando Pride, 2024–present

On 7 March 2024, the National Women's Soccer League club Orlando Pride announced that they had signed Banda to a four-year contract through the 2027 season. Transferred for a $740,000 fee, the transaction was the second-highest in women's football history at the time. Banda made her club debut off the bench in a 1–0 win over the San Diego Wave on 19 April. She made an impressive first start on 26 April, in which she assisted, scored, and drew a penalty in a 3–2 away win over the Washington Spirit. Banda scored eight goals in her first seven games, tying Sophia Smith for the Golden Boot lead. She was named NWSL Player of the Month for May with seven goals in five games, including three braces. On 7 July she scored her 12th goal of the season to open a battle between the league's last two undefeated teams, the Orlando Pride and the Kansas City Current, which ended as a 2–1 win for the Pride. Orlando won the 2024 NWSL Shield after finishing the regular season in first place, collecting the first trophy in club history.

On 8 November, in the first round of the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, Banda scored two times in a 4–1 win over the Chicago Red Stars. In the semifinals, she scored Orlando's second goal and assisted Marta for the third in Orlando's 3–2 win against the Kansas City Current. Banda scored the lone goal of the NWSL Championship Final on 23 November, threading the ball past Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury at close range to secure a 1–0 victory. She was named the championship's MVP. Banda's performance throughout the 2024 NWSL season led to her being named to the NWSL Best XI, nominated for the Ballon d'Or and NWSL MVP, and voted the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year.

In the 2025 season, Banda set an NWSL record for the fastest hat trick, scoring three against the Utah Royals in the first 38 minutes. On 16 August 2025, she suffered a hip adductor injury in a match against Kansas City, ruling her out for the remainder of the 2025 regular season.

Banda returned to the field at the start of the 2026 season and was named to the March NWSL Team of the Month after netting three goals in her first three games back in action.

International career Junior Banda represented the Zambia women's national under-17 football team in the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. She turned 14 during the tournament. During the team's first group stage match, Banda scored a hat trick against the Netherlands. The match ended 3–10, the worst ever loss for the Zambia women's national football team and the highest-scoring women's football match in Olympics history. In their second group match, Banda scored another hat trick against China with the match ending in a 4–4 draw. She became the first woman footballer in Olympic history to score back-to-back hat tricks and the first to score two hat tricks in one tournament. She is Africa's all-time top scorer in Olympic history.

On 6 July 2022, Banda and three teammates, including striker Racheal Kundananji, were ruled ineligible to compete for Zambia in the World Cup-qualifying tournament, Africa Cup of Nations, after a gender verification test found that their natural testosterone levels were above those allowed by the Confederation of African Football, which has stricter gender verification rules than the Olympics. The ruling sparked significant controversy, with Human Rights Watch describing it as a "clear violation" of her human rights. In August 2022, following Zambia's third-place finish at the tournament (and despite Banda not being able to compete), she and seven of her teammates were promoted by the Zambian Army. Banda was given the rank of sergeant, the highest among the group.

In September 2022, Banda led Zambia to win their first 2022 COSAFA Women's Cup, the top women's international football tournament for national teams from Southern Africa Her ten goals earned her the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament.

On 7 July 2023, she scored two goals, including the game-winner in the 12th minute of injury time, against FIFA #2-ranked Germany, leading #77-ranked Zambia to an astounding 3–2 upset. Banda was named Player of the Match. Later that month, on 31 July, Banda won player of the match in Zambia's first win in a World Cup, a 3–1 victory over Costa Rica. In this game Banda scored Zambia's second-ever World Cup goal, a penalty kick which was also the 1,000th goal in Women's World Cup history. On 9 April 2024, she scored a brace in a 2–0 away extra-time victory over Morocco, qualifying her nation to the 2024 Summer Olympics by winning the home-and-away series 3–2 on aggregate.

On 3 July 2024, Banda was called up to the Zambia squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Although Zambia failed to advance past the group stage, Banda was the joint second-highest goalscorer of the tournament after netting 4 goals in 3 games. 3 of her goals combined for a hat-trick in Zambia's 6–5 loss to Australia.

November 2024 saw her voted the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year after getting the most reader votes. This came after her performances in the 2024 Olympics, NWSL season, and NWSL playoffs, as well as her becoming the second most expensive women's signing in history. Banda was the subject of an online attack by J. K. Rowling who implied that she is male. US Women's National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes and retired US midfielder Megan Rapinoe defended Banda. On 16 December 2024 Banda was voted the African Women's Footballer of the Year for 2024.

Other work

After being inspired by Zambian professional boxer Catherine Phiri, Banda started boxing around age 14 Banda competed in five professional bouts and won all five before opting to focus on football. On the foundation, Banda said, "Like many, I did not come from a place of abundance and hence I understand what it means to need help and no one willing to help you. I have also experienced how much easier life gets when you have people ready to help you on your path to success."

Banda joined Common Goal in 2019 pledging at least 1% of her salary to a collective fund that supports football charities around the world.

Style of play Banda is considered one of the best women's players in the world. A goal-scorer, she possesses speed, positioning, and finishing in front of net. Banda notes Brazilian player Marta and Portuguese men's footballer Cristiano Ronaldo as players she admires.

Career statistics Club

International goals

Honours Orlando Pride NWSL Championship: 2024 NWSL Shield: 2024

Zambia COSAFA Women's Championship: 2022

Individual Chinese Women's Super League Top scorer: 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship top scorer: 2022 BBC Women's Footballer of the Year: 2024 NWSL Best XI First Team: 2024 NWSL Championship Most Valuable Player: 2024 2025 African Women's Footballer of the Year: 2024 CAF Team of the Year Women's XI: 2023, 2024