Arsenal women’s world record fee broken after 5 weeks | OneFootball

When Arsenal signed Olivia Smith from Liverpool for £1 million in July, the deal was hailed as a landmark moment for women’s football.

At just 21, the Canadian forward became the first woman to command a seven-figure fee, overtaking the previous record set when Naomi Girma moved to Chelsea for £890,000, as she became the most expensive player in the women’s game.

That record, however, lasted only five weeks.

Orlando Pride have now paid £1.1 million to bring Mexican international Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle from Tigres UANL, setting a new record and making Ovalle the first Mexican footballer, male or female, to hold the world transfer record.

Photo by Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images

Orlando’s ambition is clear. After signing Barbra Banda for £740,000 in 2024, they have now completed two of the six most expensive deals in women’s football.

Ovalle, Tigres’ all-time leading scorer, arrives with multiple league titles to her name.

For Arsenal, Smith’s transfer still marked a major step forward, but how quickly it was broken shows just how fast women’s football is growing.