Barbra Banda Named Among the World's Best in EA FC 27, the Only Zambian on the List

Zambian striker and national team captain Barbra Banda has been named among the 27 highest-rated women's footballers in the world by EA Sports FC 27, the latest edition of the popular football video game franchise, a rare and notable honour for a player from Zambia in a list otherwise dominated by Europe's biggest clubs.

Banda, who plays for Orlando Pride in the United States' National Women's Soccer League, received an overall rating of 88, placing her among a cluster of players including Debinha, Irene Paredes, Kadidiatou Diani, Rose Lavelle, Vivianne Miedema and Ann-Katrin Berger. She was the only player from an African national team, and the only Zambian, named among the top 27, a list EA Sports says is built from "authentic match data, football expertise, and decades of credibility" across more than 21,000 players in the game.

Spain's Alexia Putellas, who recently moved from FC Barcelona to London City Lionesses, topped the women's rankings for a second year running with a 91 overall rating, EA Sports' highest possible women's rating this year, matched on the men's side by Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati and Manchester City's Khadija "Bunny" Shaw followed at 90 overall.

Banda's rating places her comfortably inside the game's elite tier, only three points behind the world's top-rated player, and reflects a season in which she has continued to build her reputation as one of the most feared strikers in the NWSL since joining Orlando Pride, following an earlier, record-breaking stint with Shanghai Shengli in China.

She remains Zambia's all-time leading goalscorer across both men's and women's national teams, with 57 goals in 63 international appearances since her senior debut in 2016, two weeks before her 16th birthday, and captains the Copper Queens.

EA FC 27 is scheduled for release on 25 September, with early access from 18 September for Ultimate Edition owners. Ratings for full national leagues and squads are being revealed in stages over the coming days ahead of launch.