Orlando Pride fighting to make playoffs!

Orlando Pride Fightig to Stay in Playoff Race as Marta’s Future Looms

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Pride entered the 2026 season hoping to build on the most successful chapter in club history. Instead, with the regular season heading toward its decisive stretch, the defending NWSL champions find themselves fighting simply to remain in the playoff picture.

For a team that lifted both the NWSL Shield and the league championship in 2024, the current season has been a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in professional soccer.

The Pride still have enough talent to make a postseason run, but inconsistent results, injuries and stretches of disappointing play have made every remaining match increasingly important. The margin for error is shrinking, and Orlando cannot afford to leave points on the table if it wants another chance at the NWSL title.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the club is the future of its most recognizable player.

Marta.

The Brazilian superstar has been the face of the Orlando Pride since joining the club in 2017. She became a cornerstone of the organization and helped lead Orlando to its breakthrough championship in 2024. That season, the Pride won the NWSL Shield before defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 in the championship game, giving Marta the first NWSL championship of her career.

Marta signed a new two-year contract with Orlando in January 2025, keeping her with the Pride through the end of the 2026 season.

That makes the coming months particularly significant.

At 40 years old, Marta remains capable of producing moments that few players in the league can match. In July, she scored her 50th regular-season NWSL goal in a victory over the Kansas City Current, another milestone in a career filled with them.

But the question is no longer simply whether Marta can still play at the highest level. The larger question is whether she wants to continue playing — and whether Orlando believes the best path forward includes its legendary captain.

For the Pride, there are arguments on both sides.

Keeping Marta would provide experience, leadership and a player who can change a match with a single touch. She remains one of the most recognizable figures in women’s soccer and an important part of Orlando’s identity.

At the same time, the Pride must eventually prepare for life after Marta. The club has already begun adding younger players to its roster, building a squad that combines veterans with emerging talent. Orlando’s 2026 roster includes several new additions, including Hailie Mace, Hannah Anderson, Seven Castain, Nicole Payne and Solai Washington.

The challenge is finding the right balance between honoring the past and building the future.

For now, however, the Pride have a more immediate problem.

They need wins.

The playoff race will likely come down to the final weeks of the regular season, meaning Orlando cannot afford prolonged stretches of poor form. Injuries have also complicated the situation. Marta herself has missed time this season, while the Pride have dealt with multiple other absences across the roster.

Every match has therefore taken on greater significance.

The Pride’s 2024 championship proved that this organization is capable of competing with the best teams in the NWSL. But repeating that success requires getting back into the postseason first.

And as Orlando fights for its playoff life, the Marta storyline will only become louder.

For supporters, there is an understandable desire to see the legendary No. 10 remain in purple for as long as possible. Marta has spent nearly a decade in Orlando, becoming synonymous with the club and helping transform the Pride from an expansion franchise into a championship organization.

But professional sports rarely allow sentiment to make the final decision.

The Pride will have to determine what is best for the team, while Marta will ultimately decide what comes next for her remarkable career.

For now, there is still soccer to be played.

There is still a playoff spot to chase.

And there is still Marta.

The Pride’s immediate future may depend on whether they can rediscover the form that made them champions. Their longer-term future could depend on what happens when their greatest star decides whether 2026 will be the final chapter of her Orlando story — or simply another season in an extraordinary career.