Zambia forward Barbra Banda has completed a historic transfer to Orlando Pride, making it the second-most expensive women’s transfer in history.
The 23-year-old joins the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club for a reported fee of $740,000 (£581,000) from Chinese club Shanghai Shengli.
This move follows closely behind the world-record transfer of Zambia teammate Racheal Kundananji to Bay FC for $860,000 (£685,000) last month.
Banda has signed a four-year deal with Pride and is set to become one of the highest-paid players in the NWSL. Additionally, Pride has secured a sell-on clause for any future transfer of Banda, who boasts an impressive record of 41 goals in 52 appearances for Shanghai Shengli.
“I am very excited to join Orlando Pride. It’s a great club and I love what they’re building,” said Banda.
“The NWSL 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.
“I can’t wait to meet my new team-mates and start working with them. I hope to help the team to do great things and win a lot of trophies together.”
The forward made history as the first female player to score back-to-back hat-tricks at the Olympic Games, achieving this feat against the Netherlands and China in 2021.
Pride owner and chairman Mark Wilf said: “It has always been our vision to build Orlando Pride into an NWSL Championship contender and we believe investment in the world’s best players is a prerequisite for success.
“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. Our fans have much to look forward to as we prepare to kick-off the regular season.”