MONTERREY, MEXICO – MAY 24: Jacqueline Ovalle #14 of Tigres UANL looks on prior to the CONCACAF W Champions Cup Final match between Tigres UANL and NJ/NY Gotham FC at Universitario Stadium on May 24, 2025 in Monterrey, Mexico. (Photo by Azael Rodriguez/NWSL via Getty Images)
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Orlando Pride set a new world record transfer fee in women’s soccer when it signed 25-year-old winger Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle from Liga MX club Tigres Femenil on Thursday.
The Mexico international was wanted by numerous clubs in Europe, including FC Barcelona Femení, but Orlando Pride managed to get the deal done in what is a coup for both the team and the National Women’s Soccer League.
The transfer fee of $1.5 million eclipses the $1.3 million paid by Arsenal to Liverpool for Canadian international forward Olivia Smith earlier this summer, and sees Ovalle become just the third transfer in women’s soccer to break the million-dollar mark.
The deal makes Orlando Pride one of only two clubs, along with Chelsea FC, to have two players in the top ten transfer fees spent in women’s soccer, after it also paid $740,000 to acquire Barbra Banda from Chinese club Shanghai Shengli in 2024.
Banda went on to be a key part of Orlando’s regular season and postseason championship-winning side in 2024, being named MVP in the championship game, and the team hopes Ovalle will have a similar impact in 2025.
“We are deeply committed to building championship-caliber teams year after year, and this landmark signing is a reflection of that focus,” says Orlando Pride owner and chairman Mark Wilf.
“Jacquie is a world-class talent and a proven winner, and her arrival in Orlando marks another step on our journey to position the Pride among the elite clubs in global women’s soccer.
“We’re proud to lead the way in investing in the women’s game, not just for today’s success, but to shape the future of the sport for generations to come.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 03: Jacqueline Ovalle #11 of Mexico celebrates after scoring the third goal of the game during the second half against Paraguay at BMO Stadium on March 03, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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The transfer market in women’s soccer is becoming increasingly global and increasingly eye-catching as the figures begin to surpass the million-dollar mark.
Orlando is thinking globally too, and has the Concacaf Champions Cup to contend with, which it qualified for on the back of its successful season in domestic soccer last year.
It kicks off its debut Champions Cup campaign against Alajuelense on September 2, and the incoming transfer of one of the best players in the region will help greatly in this continental competition.
“This signing reflects the Pride’s ambition to compete both domestically and internationally,” adds Wilf.
“In addition to her impressive club stats, Ovalle also brings Concacaf W Champions Cup experience to the club, having finished as runners-up with Tigres in the inaugural edition last year.”
The Pride currently sit third in the NWSL regular season standings, 12 points behind runaway leaders Kansas City Current, but only one point behind second-place San Diego Wave.
That second spot in the table ensures qualification for the next year’s Champions Cup, which is the immediate aim for Orlando Pride in terms of regular season progress.
But the main aim will be to retain its championship and enjoy a strong post-season. Ovalle’s signing is a statement to the rest of the league in this regard, and pairing her with Banda means Orlando now has two world-class attacking threats in its team.
Ovalle leaves Tigres as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, and one of her goals, against Chivas Guadalajara earlier this year, is being put forward as a possible contender for the best goal of the year in all of soccer, thanks to the ingenious nature of the finish.
“I’m coming with the clear objective of winning titles and leaving a mark with the club,” Ovalle said on her arrival in Orlando, as the club and its players continue to make no secret of their lofty ambitions, both domestically and internationally.
NWSL teams will also be involved in the inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is due to take place in 2028, with Gotham FC already qualified as last season’s Champions Cup winner.
Signings such as Ovalle put Orlando in a good position to at least challenge for continental honors, and perhaps even secure a place at that global tournament.
For now, focus will remain on the league table, and upcoming games against Angel FC and Gotham, where they hope Ovalle will soon be ready to make her debut.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesnalton/2025/08/21/orlando-sign-ovalle-for-15-million-breaking-world-transfer-record/
