Barbra Banda Dominates NWSL Best XI for May 2026

ORLANDO, Fla. — May belonged to Barbra Banda, and the NWSL has the paperwork to prove it.

The Orlando Pride striker has been named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month, presented by Prime, for the third straight month of the 2026 season, as announced Friday by the league. She has yet to miss a Best XI since the campaign kicked off.

Eight different clubs are represented in May’s selection, but Banda’s presence feels inevitable now. The Zambian forward is not just in form; she is setting the pace for everyone else.

She leads the NWSL Golden Boot race with 11 goals in 12 games this year, a ruthless return that has turned Orlando’s attack into one of the most feared in the league. May was her sharpest month yet: six goals, one assist, and a constant sense that every time she touched the ball, something was about to break.

The numbers come with context. Two of those six goals decided games, both in front of the home crowd at Inter&Co Stadium. On May 8, she settled a tight contest against the North Carolina Courage with the only goal in a 1-0 win. On May 29, she did it again, this time in a more expansive 3-1 victory over Bay FC.

The pressure built. Banda answered.

She hit two braces during the month, first dismantling the Washington Spirit on May 2, then striking twice again in that 3-1 win over Bay FC that underlined her dominance. These weren’t consolation goals or late padding. They were the spine of Orlando’s results.

Her consistency is beginning to etch itself into club history. With 36 goals in 54 matches across all competitions, Banda already sits second on the Pride’s all-time scoring list. She has done it at speed, compressing what for many players is a career’s worth of highlights into a little over half a century of games.

Now comes a pause.

The NWSL steps aside for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, giving teams a rare midseason reset. For Orlando, it means time to breathe, to plan, and to ponder just how far Banda can carry this group when play resumes.

The answer will start to unfold on Friday, July 3, when the Pride return to action on the road against Angel City FC at BMO Stadium. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video — another stage, another spotlight, and another chance for the league’s most in-form striker to stretch the gap at the top of the scoring charts.