NWSL Champions. For the first time in club history, Orlando Pride can claim the title. The Orlando Pride made history Saturday night at CPKC Stadium, claiming their first NWSL Championship with a gritty 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit. Barbra Banda's decisive goal in the 37th minute secured the win, capping a season of record-breaking success for the Pride.

Banda's strike, her fourth of the postseason, set a new single-postseason NWSL record and earned her Championship MVP honors. The goal came from a sharp through ball by midfielder Angelina, which Banda controlled with poise before cutting back and firing a left-footed shot past Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. The finish also marked the first time a player scored in every match of an NWSL postseason.

The Pride’s triumph completes a remarkable turnaround for a team that, just a few years ago, was at the bottom of the league standings. Orlando set new NWSL records this season, including points (60), wins (18), and an unbeaten streak to open the season (23 matches). It was also a fitting crowning moment for Marta, the six-time World Player of the Year, who lifted her first NWSL Championship at age 38 after eight years with the club.

"I waited eight years for this moment," Marta said during the trophy presentation, sharing how special it was to celebrate the victory with her mother in attendance for the first time. "I didn’t want to leave Orlando without achieving something really big."

The Pride, who secured the NWSL Shield earlier this year as the league’s best regular-season team, are the first club to win both the Shield and Championship in the same season since the Courage did so in 2019. They also became just the fourth team to win in their first-ever NWSL Championship appearance.

For Washington, the defeat marked a bittersweet conclusion to an otherwise commendable journey to their third-ever NWSL Championship appearance. Despite a valiant late surge, head coach Jonatan Giráldez acknowledged the difficulty of breaking through Orlando's formidable backline—a unit anchored by the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year Emily Sams, finalist for the award Kylie Strom, and Best XI Second Team honoree Kerry Abello.

The 2024 NWSL season ends with the Pride as deserving champions, having redefined what’s possible for a club once regarded as a perennial underdog. It also marks the first championship for any Orlando major league professional sports team, an achievement that will be celebrated with a parade in downtown Orlando today.