Barbra Banda Continues Dominance in NWSL Best XI for May

ORLANDO, Fla. — The list keeps coming, and Barbra Banda keeps owning it.

The National Women’s Soccer League confirmed its Best XI of the Month for May, and once again the Orlando Pride striker’s name was inked in bold. It’s her third straight selection of the 2026 season, a clean sweep so far, and a statement that the league’s most ruthless finisher has no intention of slowing down.

Eight different clubs are represented in May’s Best XI, a spread that underlines the depth of talent across the NWSL. Yet the spotlight inevitably swings back to Orlando, where Banda has turned consistency into something closer to inevitability.

She leads the Golden Boot race with 11 goals in 12 games this year, numbers that read like a striker in full command of her craft. May alone brought six of those goals and one assist, a month where every touch in the final third seemed to carry danger.

The impact wasn’t cosmetic. It decided matches.

Two of Banda’s May goals were winners at Inter&Co Stadium, the kind that turn solid home form into a fortress. On May 8, she delivered the only strike in a tight 1-0 victory over the North Carolina Courage. When Bay FC came to town on May 29, she went up a gear again, driving a 3-1 win with another decisive performance.

The pattern repeated across the month. Twice she walked off with a brace: first against the Washington Spirit on May 2, then again in that 3-1 triumph over Bay FC. Different opponents, same outcome — Banda as the difference-maker.

Her influence stretches beyond one hot streak. With 36 goals in 54 appearances across all competitions, the Zambian forward already sits second on the Pride’s all-time scoring chart. She has built that tally quickly, with the kind of relentlessness that forces clubs and defenders to rewrite their game plans around her.

For now, the league pauses for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, a rare chance to take a breath and scan the table, the stats, the storylines. Banda’s name sits at the top of one of the most important lists. Orlando’s ambitions are tied closely to keeping it there.

The Pride return on Friday, July 3, when they travel west to face Angel City FC at BMO Stadium. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video — another national stage, another chance for the league’s in-form striker to stretch her lead and push Orlando’s season into an even higher gear.