Temwa Chawinga has become the first African player to finish in the top 10 of the women’s Ballon d’Or, taking 10th place in the 2026 award won by Spain’s Alexia Putellas.
The Malawi forward’s historic result was announced in London on Monday, marking a significant breakthrough for African women’s football. Since the women’s Ballon d’Or was introduced in 2018, several players from the continent had been nominated, but none had previously reached the leading 10.
Chawinga’s 10th-place finish surpasses the previous African record, set by Zambia’s Barbra Banda when she came 12th in 2024. Banda remains in the official 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings, although she dropped to 18th this year.
The result also continues a rapid rise for Chawinga. She was nominated for the award in 2025 and finished 17th. Twelve months later, she has climbed seven places to become the first African player to rank among the 10 leading female footballers in the world.
Her recognition follows another outstanding season with Kansas City Current. During the period considered for the award, the 28-year-old scored 15 goals and provided three assists in 22 appearances, establishing herself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the American league.
Chawinga had already won both the NWSL Most Valuable Player and NWSL top scorer awards in 2024 and 2025. Her consistency for Kansas City Current helped bring her performances to a wider global audience and strengthened her case among the world’s leading players.
The achievement carries added significance because of the country she represents. Chawinga is not from one of the traditional major powers in African women’s football. She plays for Malawi, a national team that had long remained outside the game’s biggest international occasions.
Alongside her sister Tabitha, Temwa has nevertheless helped drive the remarkable rise of the Scorchers. Malawi reached the final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, an unexpected run that reflected the progress made by the national side.
Chawinga’s own career has followed a similarly upward path. After spells in Sweden and winning four titles in China, she moved to the United States, where the level of competition and exposure enabled her talent to gain worldwide recognition.
Africa remains some distance from producing the winner of the women’s Ballon d’Or, but Chawinga’s result represents a clear breakthrough. Following Banda’s previous high finish, the 28-year-old has taken the continent into the top 10 for the first time.
Her achievement also underlines how African players can compete with the global elite when they have access to strong competition and sufficient exposure. The next targets are clear: breaking into the top five and, eventually, challenging for a place on the podium.
