Temwa Chawinga becomes first African woman to finish in Ballon d’Or top 10

Malawian forward Temwa Chawinga has made history by becoming the first African woman to finish in the top 10 of the women’s Ballon d’Or. Chawinga’s achievement marks a significant milestone for African women’s football, placing the Malawi international among the world’s leading female players. Born on September 20, 1998, in Rumphi District, Malawi, Chawinga plays as a forward for Kansas City Current and the Malawi national team.

She has enjoyed considerable success at club level, winning four Chinese Women’s Super League titles with Wuhan Jianghan University in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. She also won the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup in 2024 and the NWSL Shield in 2025 with Kansas City Current. Her individual honours include two consecutive NWSL Most Valuable Player awards in 2024 and 2025, as well as two NWSL Golden Boots in the same years.

Chawinga also claimed the Chinese Women’s Super League Golden Boot in 2022 and 2023 before winning the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) World’s Best Top Goal Scorer award in 2023. She was joined in the Ballon d’Or top 10 by Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay, Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen, Spain’s Patri Guijarro, Denmark’s Pernille Harder, Poland’s Ewa Pajor, Spain’s Clàudia Pina and Alexia Putellas, England’s Alessia Russo, and Jamaica’s Khadija Shaw.

The list features players from Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, reflecting the growing global reach of women’s football. Chawinga’s historic finish represents a breakthrough for African representation in the prestigious individual award and further highlights her rise as one of the leading figures in the women’s game.