It was a storybook ending to a storybook year for the Orlando Pride.
The Pride won the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship following a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit at a sold-out CPKC Stadium in Kansas City on Saturday.
Pride striker Barbra Banda scored the lone goal of the match in the 37th minute, her fourth of the postseason. The 24-year-old Zambian was named the 2024 NWSL championship MVP and later dedicated the award to her team.
The win gives the Pride its first title in club history.
The NWSL Shield winners set league records for most wins in a single season (18) and points in a single season (60). Both records were previously held by the North Carolina Courage, who set it in 2018.
Pride forward Marta Viera da Silva, who many consider – perhaps even most – to be the greatest woman footballer of all time, was able to experience something more than just her first NWSL title on Saturday.
The Brazilian legend played in front of her mother, Tereza, who watched her daughter play in the United States for the first time after figuring out her visa situation at the “last minute.”
An emotional Marta told the CBS Sports broadcast after the match that it meant “so much” to share this moment with her mother.
“Most special because it’s the first time my mother is in America,” Marta said as her teammates cheered loudly. “And I am happy to share this moment with her here. It means so much to me.”
The 38-year-old team captain has been with the Pride for eight seasons and was asked why this was the group to finally achieve the feat of winning a title.
“I’ve asked myself why I still play for Orlando,” Marta said. “After eight years, I’m the only player in this club since 2017, and I have so many questions about it. Now I have the answer – it’s because it was time to be champion.”
The unprecedented six-time FIFA Player of the Year award winner also credited her teammates for the title win.
“Thank you so much girls. You are incredible. You make me feel young every single day,” Marta added.
Orlando is the fourth team in league history to win in its first appearance in the title game.
This was the first NWSL championship game between the top two seeds since 2019.
