Zambia superstar Barbra Banda nominated for 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or award

Zambian superstar Barbra Banda has once again been nominated for the prestigious Women’s Ballon d’Or, earning recognition among the leading female footballers in the world.

The nomination further underlines Banda’s status as one of Africa’s biggest stars on the global stage and marks another major milestone in what has been a remarkable rise for the Copper Queens captain.

Banda has established herself as one of the most dangerous forwards in women’s football, combining her pace, physical strength, technical ability and clinical finishing to consistently trouble defenders at both club and international level.

Her latest recognition comes after another period in which she continued to attract attention for her performances with Orlando Pride and the Zambia national team.

The 26-year-old has already enjoyed considerable success since moving to the United States, helping Orlando Pride win the 2024 NWSL Championship and earning the Championship MVP award in the process. She also continued her impressive goalscoring form in 2025, scoring eight goals in 16 NWSL appearances despite missing the second half of the season through injury.

Banda’s influence extends beyond her club career. She remains the leading figure of Zambia’s Copper Queens and has repeatedly produced outstanding performances on the international stage.

Her nomination is also another recognition of the growing influence of African players in the global women’s game. Banda has already made history as the first African player to be named in the FIFPRO Women’s World 11 in consecutive years, following her selections in 2024 and 2025.

She was also nominated for the 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or, making her latest nomination another indication that she has firmly established herself among the elite players in the women’s game.

For Zambia, Banda’s continued presence among the world’s top players represents a source of immense pride, with the striker having become one of the most recognisable faces of African women’s football.

Her individual achievements have also helped raise the profile of the Copper Queens, who have increasingly competed against some of the continent’s strongest teams with Banda leading the attack.

The Ballon d’Or nomination therefore represents more than just individual recognition for Banda. It is another significant moment for Zambian and African women’s football, with the forward once again carrying the continent’s hopes on one of football’s biggest individual stages.

Banda will now hope her performances are enough to earn her a strong position in the final voting and potentially make history by becoming the first African woman to win the prestigious award.