Barbra Banda has recently signed a $740,000 (£581,000) deal with Orlando Pride, making her the second-most expensive player in women’s football history.
She will be joining the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team from Shanghai Shengli on a four-year contract.
This deal means that two Zambia internationals have been part of the two largest women’s transfer deals.
The current record holder is Racheal Kundananji, who moved from Madrid CFF to Bay FC for $860,000 (£685,000) last month.
Keira Walsh’s transfer to Barcelona from Manchester City for €470,000 (£400,000) was the largest fee paid since September 2022.
“’I am very excited to join Orlando Pride,” Banda told the club website.
“It’s a great club and I love what they’re building. The National Women’s Soccer League is one of the most competitive and strongest leagues in the world so it’s very humbling to get a chance to play in it.
“Since my first meeting with the club and the General Manager, I knew this was a club I wanted to join. I can’t wait to meet my new teammates and start working with them. I hope to help the team in my small capacity to do great things and win a lot of trophies together.”
At 23 years old, she is leaving Shanghai after scoring 41 goals in 52 games for the club. She was also part of Zambia’s first-ever squad to compete in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
She scored a goal in a 3-1 victory against Costa Rica, which marked the 1000th goal in the tournament’s history.
“It has always been our vision to build the Orlando Pride into an NWSL Championship contender and we believe investment in the world’s best players is a prerequisite for success,” added Orlando Pride owner and chairman Mark Wilf.
“Barbra Banda brings a new level of technical skill, physicality and pace to our attack and she is an exciting and entertaining addition to our roster.
“We thank Shanghai Shengli FC and their leadership for partnering with us to bring Barbra to Orlando and to the National Women’s Soccer League. Our fans have much to look forward to as we prepare to kick off the regular season!”
