Ex-Corinthians, Gabi Nunes joins Orlando Pride in the NWSL | OneFootball

Forward Gabi Nunes was officially announced by Orlando Pride on Tuesday morning (4) as a new signing for the remainder of the 2026 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season. A former Corinthians player, the Brazilian signed a contract through the end of the current edition of the American league.

At 29, Gabi begins a new chapter in her career after leaving Aston Villa in England. At Orlando Pride, she will share the squad with three other Brazilians: Marta, Angelina, and Luana. Before her spell in English football, Gabi Nunes played for Madrid CFF and Levante, both in Spain. Developed at Centro Olímpico, the forward also played for Osasco Audax before building a successful career wearing the Corinthians shirt.

Photo: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce

Throughout her professional career, the forward has totaled 232 matches and 118 goals. For Brazil’s senior national team, she made her debut in 2016 and has 38 appearances and eight goals, in addition to taking part in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the 2024 Women’s Gold Cup, and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she won a silver medal with the Seleção.

Corinthians tried to bring the forward back

Before deciding on her future in the United States, Gabi Nunes came close to returning to Corinthians. Available on the market after the end of her contract with Aston Villa, the forward even treated the black-and-white club as her priority to continue her career and received an offer from the board; however, it was turned down for not meeting her salary expectations.

The internal expectation was that the arrival of funds from the Fatal Fans sponsorship would allow for a new push in negotiations. As the weeks went by, however, the board changed its financial strategy and decided to prioritize using the money to pay off club debts, ending talks to sign the forward.

Even after giving up on Gabi’s return for the 2026 season, Corinthians left the door open for a new attempt at the start of 2027, when it believes it may have a more balanced financial situation and a less burdened wage bill.

While waiting for a decision, Gabi Nunes also received interest from clubs in Europe, the United States, and Mexico. Brazilian teams also approached her, but the forward showed no interest in playing for any other club in the country besides Corinthians. Given the situation, the player chose to continue her career abroad and finalized her move to Orlando Pride, where she will play in the NWSL alongside Brazilians Marta, Angelina, and Luana.

Legacy with the Brabas

Gabi Nunes wore the Corinthians shirt between 2016 and 2021 and became one of the leading forwards in the recent history of the Brabas. During her time at the club, she played 115 matches, scored 77 goals, and provided 20 assists, totaling 97 direct goal contributions.

With Corinthians, she won five titles: the Women’s Copa do Brasil (2016), the Brazilian Women’s Championship (2018), the Brazilian Women’s Championship (2020), the Women’s Paulista Championship (2019), and the Women’s Paulista Championship (2020).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.