Copper Queens and Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda has been nominated for the 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or.
Banda has made the top 30 shortlist alongside Malawi’s Tabitha Chawinga, who plays for Lyon in France. The two have become the second and third Africans to be nominated for the prestigious award by France Football magazine.
The the winner for the award will be unveiled on Monday, October 28 during the awards gala.
In 2022, Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala became the first African woman to make the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or when she finished 16th in the rankings. The former Barcelona striker, who now plays for Bay FC, was also the only African nominee last year, but she missed out this year.
Banda has helped Orlando Pride maintain their undefeated run in the first half of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She was also the first player in the NWSL history to scorer 10 goals in 10 matches.
Banda scored 16 goals and five assists in 2023 before joining Orlando Pride for a club record $740,000 transfer fee from Shanghai Shengli— the second-highest transfer fee in women’s football worldwide. She scored 41 goals in 52 games during her stint in China with Shanghai.
The Copper Queens skipper went on to score four goals in three matches at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her tally at this year’s Olympics included a historic hat-trick in the 6-5 loss to Australia.
Following that feat, she became the first female player to score three hat-tricks at the Olympics.
Banda sets national record
The 24-year-old has also become the first Zambian, male or female, to be nominated for the ballon d’Or.
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The only other Zambian to receive a similar prestigious award nomination was Kalusha Bwalya, who was voted the 12th-best player in the world in the 1996 FIFA World Player of the awards. That came after being named African Footballer of the Year by the France Football magazine in 1988.
Below is the full list of the Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees
Reacting to her nomination, Banda wrote accross her social media platforms, “I am very excited to get my first nomination for the Ballon D’or.”
“This is not possible without the hard work of my teammates at club and national team plus my coaches and of course each and every one of you support my journey.”
