PHOTO BY MARK THOR VIA ORLANDO CITY SC
Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda has earned her third consecutive nomination for the Women’s Ballon d’Or, France Football announced Tuesday. Banda is one of four active NWSL players on this year’s shortlist, and the Pride are among just three NWSL clubs with a current player nominated for the award.
The Women’s Ballon d’Or, first awarded in 2018, recognizes the top performers in women’s football over the previous year. Winners will be announced at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on October 26.
Pride vice president of soccer operations and general manager Caitlin Carducci said the club is proud to see Banda recognized for a third time, calling it a reflection of the impact she continues to have for both club and country and a testament to the consistency and elite level she brings to the game daily.
Banda is coming off a record-setting 2026 season in Orlando, scoring a club single-season record 14 goals to go with three assists across all competitions. Her tally broke the previous record of 13, set by Marta in 2017 and matched by Banda herself during Orlando’s 2024 championship season. She currently leads the Pride in goals and is tied for the team lead in assists.
Banda captained Zambia at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer for her country with five goals and an assist in three matches. In a 6-0 win over Egypt, she became the first player in WAFCON history to be directly involved in six goals in a single match, scoring four goals, adding an assist, and winning a penalty that led to another. Her four-goal outing also tied the tournament record for goals in a single match, making her just the third player in WAFCON history to do so.
Banda first received Ballon d’Or recognition in 2024, after a debut Orlando season in which she scored 13 regular season goals, the second most in the NWSL that year, and found the net in all three of Orlando’s playoff matches, including the game-winning goal in the NWSL Championship. That season also brought her NWSL Championship MVP honors, a spot on the 2024 NWSL Best XI First Team, selection to the FIFPRO Women’s World 11, and recognition as the first African player named BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year. She earned her second straight nomination in 2025 after posting eight goals and an assist in 15 appearances.
Banda and the Pride return to action Friday, September 11, traveling to face the Kansas City Current at CPKC Stadium.
