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Bay FC have signed Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji from Spain's Madrid CFF, the clubs announced on Tuesday, with the American team paying up to a reported $860,000 to set a new world record in women's football.
The 23-year-old, who joined Madrid in 2022 from fellow Spanish top-tier side Eibar, signed a contract through the 2027 season with an extension option for the 2028 campaign, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club said.
Bay FC break Women's transfer record
Racheal Kundananji grew up playing neighborhood pickup soccer with the boys. She and family would daydream about what life was like in the U.S.
Now, she's heading to the #NWSL to play for Bay FC for a world-record transfer fee.This perspective pic.twitter.com/NxDpRckieN
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) February 13, 2024
Racheal Kundananji is the first African player, male or female, to break a transfer world-record.
Bay FC paid Madrid CFF $787,800 (plus $75,000 in possible add-ons) for Kundananji, according to Forbes pic.twitter.com/30bMZYRYin— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) February 13, 2024
The San Francisco Bay Area's new NWSL franchise paid $787,800 for Kundananji, local media reported, with a possible $75,000 in add-ons, making her the most expensive female soccer player ever.
The deal breaks the transfer record set when Chelsea signed Colombia forward Mayra Ramirez from Levante for $535,400 in January.
Kundananji, who represented Zambia at the 2023 Women's World Cup and the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, scored 25 goals in her first season in Madrid during the 2022-23 campaign.
Bay will face Angel City on March 16 in their first game as an expansion team in the 2024 season.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
