As Barbra Banda prepares to lead Zambia's charge at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, with a FIFA World Cup ticket at stake, the forward says she has been learning from Brazil legend Marta about being a better footballer.
The Zambia captain, speaking during a CAF media availability, hopes those lessons will help her country take the next step at WAFCON, which starts on July 26: "I always have good conversations with Marta.
"She's a wonderful person and someone I'm learning from every day. She's the GOAT. Honestly, she's the GOAT."
The Orlando Pride teammates have formed one of the NWSL's most feared attacking partnerships since Banda arrived from Shanghai Shengli in 2024, for what was then the second-highest transfer fee in women's football history.
Together they helped Orlando capture the NWSL Shield for the league's best regular-season record, before winning the club's first NWSL Championship, beating Washington Spirit 1-0 in the final. Banda scored the title-winning goal, earned championship MVP honours and joined Marta in the league's Best XI.
Before then, the Brazilian had already built a résumé unmatched in the women's game. She remains the only six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 115 goals and the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history, men's or women's, with 17 goals.
Banda, who says she grew up idolizing Marta, said the opportunity to share a dressing room with the Brazilian has transformed her own game.
"The motivation she gives me is something I can't even describe. Every game we play, she always has a word for me," Banda said.
"She has been my idol since I was young, and this is a great opportunity for me to keep learning, gain experience and improve my game. I'm always following her closely because I want to learn something from her."
Banda said those lessons, and the proximity to a genuine great of the game, are reinforced every week in the NWSL, where maintaining elite standards is non-negotiable and competing in one of the world's strongest leagues demands constant improvement.
"Playing in the NWSL isn't easy. It's a huge challenge," she said. "You have to raise your level every game. You can never relax.
"When you're competing against players like Marta, Trinity Rodman and Temwa Chawinga, it's difficult to maintain that standard. Being a professional means you keep learning every day. You have to learn how to be professional if you want to succeed."
Banda's outstanding 2024 season earned her both the CAF Women's Player of the Year and BBC Women's Footballer of the Year awards. After an injury-interrupted 2025 campaign, she returned to lead the NWSL scoring charts with 12 goals, entering the WAFCON break after bouncing back from an injury-interrupted 2025 campaign.
That is three more than second-placed Temwa Chawinga of Kansas City Current and Malawi.
Despite all of those awards and records, Banda believes that the pursuit of excellence extends beyond club football. With a World Cup ticket on the line in Morocco, the forward hopes to lead the Copper Queens to Brazil with a top-four finish.
She added: "Everything starts from WAFCON. When we qualify for the World Cup, we need proper preparation. We have to prepare adequately."
Banda added that watching Africa's men's teams compete at the recently concluded FIFA World Cup provided motivation for the women's teams to show that they can also challenge the world's best and improve on their previous performances.
"We are proud of the African teams. Even though they went out, the football they played was marvellous," Banda said.
"We were cheering them on because football at that level is very difficult, but I think they did what they could. It motivates us as women because we also want to compete on that stage. We know we're going to face tough games."
For Banda, the first step towards emulating those performances begins in Morocco: "Our target is to qualify for the World Cup.
"We've learned a lot from the previous WAFCON, where we won bronze after going out earlier than we wanted. Now we want to improve and go all the way to the final."
Preparation has included high-level friendlies against Brazil, Canada and South Korea, while Banda believes Zambia's growing number of players competing abroad must now help raise the national team.
"It's important to bring the experience we've gained back to the national team," she said. "The experienced players have a responsibility to help those coming into the squad and prepare them for what to expect.
"On my side, I'm ready, and the feeling in the team is good. Now it's just about going onto the pitch and putting everything into practice."