Racheal Banda Dominates NWSL with Third Straight Best XI Selection

Banda’s Relentless Form Lands Third Straight NWSL Best XI Nod

ORLANDO, Fla. — Racheal Banda is turning a hot start into a full-blown takeover of the NWSL season.

On Friday, the league named the Orlando Pride forward to its Best XI of the Month for May, presented by Prime, extending a perfect streak: three months played in 2026, three Best XI selections. No dip, no pause, just a Zambian striker ripping through defenses and stacking up honors.

Eight clubs are represented in May’s Best XI, but the spotlight keeps drifting back to Orlando. Banda isn’t just in form; she’s 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 her into the reference point for every back line in the league.

May told the story in bold numbers. Six goals. One assist. Two match-winners.

The pressure she brings doesn’t just tilt games; it decides them. On May 8 at Inter&Co Stadium, Banda delivered the only goal in a tight 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage, a night when one chance was always going to matter. She took it. Later in the month, with Bay FC in town on May 29, she did it again, this time inside a more open, attacking contest. Orlando rolled to a 3-1 victory, Banda’s fingerprints all over it.

Those weren’t isolated flashes. Twice in May she walked off the pitch with a brace. The first came on May 2 against the Washington Spirit, a performance that underlined how quickly she can overwhelm a defense once she finds a rhythm. The second arrived in that same 3-1 triumph over Bay FC, a game that felt less like a contest and more like a showcase for a striker who understands exactly how dominant she is right now.

The numbers inside the club are beginning to look historic. Banda already sits second on the Pride’s all-time scoring chart, with 36 goals in 54 matches across all competitions. That’s not a late-career total. That’s a platform. At this rate, the record books in Orlando are on borrowed time.

For now, the league takes a breath. The NWSL pauses during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, a midseason break that cuts across Banda’s momentum but also gives every defender in the league a few precious weeks to think about how to handle her when play resumes.

The Pride return on Friday, July 3, heading west to face Angel City FC at BMO Stadium. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

By then, the World Cup will be in full roar. And when the NWSL restarts under the lights in Los Angeles, one question will hang over the night: who can slow Racheal Banda down?