Orlando Pride sign teenage forward Zoe Matthews through the end of 2026

Orlando Pride have signed 19-year-old forward Zoe Matthews through the end of the 2026 season. The short agreement gives the club another attacking option for the current campaign.

It also gives Matthews a direct chance to return to the NWSL after gaining experience in Spain and Portugal.

Matthews became Houston Dash’s youngest signing at 17. She later joined DUX Logrono on loan, where she made eight appearances and started five, before spending time with Benfica.

She has represented the United States and Jamaica at youth level, giving her experience of different teams and football cultures at an early age.

The contract runs through the end of 2026

Orlando signed Matthews for the remaining months of the NWSL season. The agreement gives the club a teenage attacking option without announcing a longer term beyond December.

Any extension would require a later club statement. The present deal has a clear end point at the conclusion of the 2026 season.

Spain and Portugal ask young forwards to read space and combine in tight areas. Matthews also had to adjust to new coaches, teammates and daily routines away from home.

Those experiences can make the next move less difficult even though the NWSL has its own speed and physical demands.

Matthews arrives after a loan at Benfica

Houston Dash sent Matthews to Benfica on loan earlier in her career. The move gave her experience in Portuguese football and in a different training environment.

That spell is part of her record before Orlando. It does not prove what position or number of minutes she will receive with the Pride.

Playing in youth national teams exposes a player to short camps and quick tactical changes. Matthews has been involved with both the United States and Jamaica pathways.

That background can help her absorb Orlando’s instructions, but the club environment will demand the same standards every day.

Houston was her first NWSL club

Matthews entered the professional game with Houston Dash. She trained and appeared around senior players while still at the beginning of her career.

Matthews began her senior career with Houston before loans to DUX Logrono and Benfica. Orlando are the next club in that sequence.

Matthews became the youngest player signed by Houston Dash when she joined at 17. That record belongs to her entry into the professional game. Orlando sign a more experienced version of the same player after loans abroad.

She is still young enough to qualify as a developing player, but she already has a senior contract history.

In England, Emily Ramsey’s separate move in the women’s transfer market provides another current example of a goalkeeper changing clubs.

She has represented the United States at youth level

Matthews has been part of United States youth national-team groups. Those appearances add international experience to a player who is still 19.

Youth selection does not guarantee a senior call-up. It is included as confirmed background rather than a prediction about her next national team.

Her loan with DUX Logrono produced eight appearances, including five starts. The Spanish spell gave her competitive minutes rather than only training time. She later spent time with Benfica in Portugal.

Both experiences happened before the short Orlando agreement.

Orlando add a young forward during the season

The Pride announced Matthews as a forward. The club can register her for its current competitions under the terms of the short contract.

The announcement did not promise a starting place or define one fixed attacking task. Those choices will appear in official team sheets and match action.

Matthews has appeared in youth international settings connected to the United States and Jamaica. The two pathways reflect her youth international history and early career choices.

Neither youth history is described as a senior international commitment. Any later call-up would require a separate official squad announcement.

The signing adds depth to the active roster

A mid-season addition gives Orlando another available player for training and selection. It also gives Matthews a new NWSL setting after Houston and Benfica.

No development schedule, later decision date or fixed attacking role was announced with the transfer.

The first two photographs show Matthews during her Houston period and are labelled that way. The third image shows Orlando Pride’s current purple kit during the 2026 season.

It provides a current club reference without falsely identifying another player as Matthews.

The first Orlando appearance will provide the next fact

Matthews has signed and can begin work with her new club. Her debut date, position and minutes will become known only when Orlando select her.

Until then, the complete news is the contract, her age, her position and the end-of-season term confirmed by the Pride.

Orlando’s agreement begins during the active season rather than in a winter transfer window. Matthews therefore joins a team with established results, routines and roster competition already in place.