Malawi international Temwa Chawinga has become the first African woman to secure a place in the top 10 of the women’s Ballon d’Or rankings.

The development was announced on Monday, during the ongoing 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium in England.

The forward’s achievement marks a major milestone for African women’s football, placing her among the elite players recognised in the prestigious individual award.

Born on September 20, 1998, in Rumphi District, Malawi, Chawinga represents Kansas City Current in the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League and the Malawi national team.

She established herself as a prolific goalscorer during her time with Wuhan Jianghan University in China, winning four consecutive Chinese Women’s Super League titles from 2020 to 2023.

Since joining Kansas City Current, she has added the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup and the 2025 NWSL Shield to her list of honours.

Her individual achievements include back-to-back NWSL Most Valuable Player awards and Golden Boot titles in 2024 and 2025.

She also won the Chinese Women’s Super League Golden Boot in 2022 and 2023 before receiving the International Federation of Football History and Statistics’ World’s Best Top Goal Scorer award in 2023.

Other players who featured in the Ballon d’Or top 10 included 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 selection brought together players from Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, underscoring the international spread of talent in women’s football.

Chawinga’s historic placement further strengthens Africa’s presence in the global women’s game and reflects her growing reputation as one of its leading forwards.