Temwa Chawinga has made history after becoming the first African woman to be included in the top 10 of the Women’s Ballon d’Or rankings.

In the list published by Ballon d’Or on Monday, October 26, the Malawi forward was ranked among top female players, including Spain’s Alexia Putellas, a two-time Women’s Ballon d’Or winner; Poland’s Ewa Pajor, who played a key role in Barcelona’s UEFA Women’s Champions League triumph; and Jamaica’s Khadija Shaw, who has won the Women’s Super League Golden Boot three consecutive times.

Other notable players on the list include Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay, who impressed with OL Lyonnes in the UEFA Women’s Champions League; England’s Alessia Russo, who plays for Arsenal; Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen, a key attacking player for Barcelona; and Denmark’s Pernille Harder, who has enjoyed success with Bayern Munich.

The Malawian forward has earned two consecutive Women’s Ballon d’Or nominations, having finished 17th in the 2025 rankings.

Born on September 20, 1998, Chawinga is a Malawian professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the Malawi national team.

She won the NWSL Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player awards in each of her first two seasons with Kansas City Current.

Chawinga made her first appearance for Malawi in 2016 and helped the country win its first COSAFA Women’s Championship title in 2023.

Her individual achievements include finishing as the joint-top scorer at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, being named in the Team of the Tournament at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and winning the Chinese Women’s Super League Golden Boot in both 2022 and 2023.

Chawinga’s achievement highlights the growing international recognition of African women’s football. The Malawian forward has established herself among the leading players in the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

By: Adedoyin Onajobi