Ten-hour commute pays off as Lizbeth Ovalle signs record NWSL deal

When she was 15, Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle traveled alone by bus for up to nine hours to play for the Mexican national team, with no payment other than the cost of her ticket.

Her talent and determination helped her play in the U17 World Cup and make her 2017 debut in the then-nascent Liga MX Femenil, where she won six league titles.

On Thursday, the Mexican striker became the most expensive player in women’s soccer history when she moved from Tigres de la UANL to the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League via a $1.5-million transfer.

Transfer records seem to be short-lived in women’s soccer, reflecting the sport’s growth worldwide and clubs’ willingness to pay for talent. Before Ovalle’s transfer, the most expensive transfer was that of Canadian Olivia Smith from Liverpool to Arsenal for $1.34 million, a transaction that took place in July. In January, American Naomi Girma was transferred from the San Diego Wave to Chelsea for $1.1 million.

Lizbeth Ovalle of Tigres, right, and Gotham FC’s Miranda Freeman battle for the ball during the CONCACAF Champions Cup final on May 24.

(Jorge Mendoza / Associated Press)

“We are deeply committed to building championship-caliber teams year after year and this landmark signing is a reflection of that focus,” Orlando Pride owner Mark Wilf said in a news release announcing Ovalle’s arrival.

Known for her speed and one-on-one skills, Ovalle, 25, chose Orlando after six NWSL teams tried to sign her.

In 2019, the Houston Dash inquired about her, as did European clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and West Ham.

In 2024, Angel City offered $750,000 for her transfer, but Tigres did not accept. Recently, she was linked with the Washington Spirit, although she ultimately chose between Gotham and Orlando, opting for the reigning NWSL champion Pride. Other interested clubs included Utah, Bay City and Chicago.

In Orlando, Ovalle will join her idol, Marta, the Brazilian legend, and striker Barbra Banda, a star from Zambia.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity in my soccer career,” Ovalle told L.A. Times en Español. “Imagine playing with those kinds of players. Obviously, that motivates me a lot. Having these players on my team is like having it all.”

Ovalle said she had been looking to break into international soccer for some time, especially after last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, when she felt she was competing at the level of elite players. She wanted to test herself in the NWSL, a league she follows closely.

She said Tigres supported her move.

“I told them about my plans, and obviously they decided to help me, but they didn’t want me to go to just any club,” said Ovalle, who acknowledges that the challenge will be adapting to a more physical league than the Mexican one, as she is more of a technical player than a power one.

Born in the municipality of Jesús María, Aguascalientes, Ovalle was discovered during trials for the Mexican national team, where she stood out among thousands of players. Shortly afterward, she played in the 2016 U17 World Cup in Jordan, where she scored two goals. She joined Tigres in 2016 after excelling in neighborhood soccer because Mexico had not yet started its professional women’s league. She made her debut with Tigres during the first season of Liga MX Femenil competition in 2017.

With Tigres, she won the 2018 and 2019 Clausura, 2020 and 2021 Guardianes, and 2022 and 2023 Apertura. In the 2025 Clausura, she played 21 games, scored 18 goals and had six assists.

“I’m leaving with the mindset that I gave my all at Tigres, I gave what I had to give, I won what I had to win,” said Ovalle, who is currently studying sports management.

Mexico forward Lizbeth Ovalle, center, controls the ball in from of U.S. defender Tierna Davidson, left, during a friendly match on July 13, 2024, in Harrison, N.J.

(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)

Before leaving Tigres, Ovalle had the option to stay and become the highest-paid player in Mexico, but she preferred the international challenge.

With this signing, she becomes the second Mexican-born player to make the leap to the NWSL via transfer, far surpassing the transfer fee of Rebeca Bernal, who moved from Monterrey to the Washington Spirit in 2024 on a three-year contract.

“It’s a historic event. It marks a turning point in Mexican soccer,” said Jorge Rodríguez, Ovalle’s agent. “We were waiting for her to grow as a person. Now is a good time to go abroad, she already has the maturity.”

Guillermo Zamarripa, an agent who was key in Ovalle’s jump to NWSL, described the move as the most important for Mexican women’s soccer and highlighted the growth of the league.

“It’s a statement about Mexican talent, about the Mexican league… the Mexican league is good enough to attract the attention of the world,” said Zamarripa. “These kinds of transfers are anthem songs that raise the ceiling of women’s soccer a little higher.”

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.