As women's football continues to progress, so does the world record number of transfers. And this week Zambian star Racheal Kundananji became the most expensive player in history.
Kundananji, 23, left Spanish side Madrid CFF to sign for the nascent Bay FC of the National Women's Soccer League, which will debut in the North American top flight in the 2024 season.
After scoring 25 goals in the F-League last season, the striker joined Bay FC in a mammoth transfer initially valued at €735,000 ($787,600), with another €75,000 ($80,000) in add-ons, a lofty figure that dwarfs comfortably the previous world record, which was set last month when Colombian striker Mayra Ramírez moved from Levante to Chelsea for 450,000 euros ($500,000).
Kundananji's move came after a January transfer window in which international spending on women's football hit an all-time high, according to FIFA, with clubs around the world collectively exchanging approximately €1.96 million (2 .1 million) in transfer fees, which roughly equates to a 150% increase from winter 2023.
Yes, there's still a long way to go before we get close to the men's record, set by Neymar's €222 million ($241 million) transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. But here's an overview of the evolution of the feminine transference. record of recent decades, and the players responsible for breaking it.
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Milene Domingues – Fiammamonza al Rayo Vallecano
€235,000, 2002
Also known as “Mika”, the Brazil international became the first player to command a fee in excess of €200,000 when she left Italian club Fiammamonza to sign for Rayo Vallecano in 2002. The midfielder moved to be with her then-husband, selection legend Ronaldo Nazario, who also left Italy for Spain to join Real Madrid.
Unfortunately, things did not go well due to a Spanish FA rule which stated that clubs were prohibited from fielding foreign players in competitive matches. Milene therefore never played a single match for Rayo and was instead given dispensation to fly back to Italy to reunite with Fiammamonza.
However, it held the world record for transfers for almost two decades.
Pernille Harder – From VfB Wolfsburg to Chelsea
€280,000, 2020
After rising to prominence in Germany with VfB Wolfsburg, the Danish international became the new record holder when she joined Women's Super League giants Chelsea after signing a three-year contract in September 2020.
The two-time UEFA Women's Player of the Year subsequently claimed three WSL/FA Cup doubles over three consecutive seasons with the Blues, before returning to Germany with Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.
Keira Walsh – Manchester City to Barcelona
€400,000, 2022
The English midfielder broke the world record in the summer of 2022 when she left Manchester City to join conquering Barcelona, who had previously become the first Spanish women's club to win the European treble after winning the league title, the Champions League and the European Cup. the Queen last season.
Walsh was also riding high after starting every game for the Lionesses in their triumphant run to 2022 European Championship glory, and duly sealed his €400,000 transfer (plus another €62,000 in potential add-ons). to League F during the last minutes. days of the summer transfer window.
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Mayra Ramírez – From Levante to Chelsea
€450,000, 2024
Walsh's record transfer lasted 18 months and was surpassed at the start of the January 2024 window, when Chelsea made a huge push to land Ramirez from top-tier Spanish side Levante.
The 24-year-old had already scored six goals in seven games in the F-League when the Blues set a new benchmark in the transfer world by parting with an initial €450,000 plus an additional €50,000 in possible add-ons.
Ramírez also became the most expensive player in British history (beating the €350,000 deal that brought Jill Roord from Wolfsburg to Manchester City in 2023).
Racheal Kundananji – Madrid CFF to Bay FC
€735,000, 2024
After finishing as the second-highest scorer in the Spanish top flight last season, Kundananji moved to the NSWL and signed a four-year contract with San Francisco-based Bay FC, who will make their debut in the competition when the league begins in mid-March.
The striker scored 33 goals in 43 league games for Madrid CFF, but a base fee of €735,000 (plus an additional €75,000) broke the record by a significant margin.
The talented Zambia international also became the first African player, male or female, to break a world transfer record.
