Malawian striker Temwa Chawinga finished 10th in the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first African to feature in the competition’s top 10. Vice-captain of the Scorchers, Malawi’s national team, she now has her sights set on the continental crown, after five goals at the Women’s AFCON.
Temwa Chawinga took 10th place in the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first African woman to feature in the competition’s top 10, according to the Maravi Post. The ceremony was held in London on 26 October 2026; Spain’s Alexia Putellas won the trophy.
The achievement comes after a 2026 Women’s AFCON played in Morocco, where she featured in six matches. But the Ballon d’Or evaluation period ended on 19 July, before the continental tournament finished on 16 August: her AFCON performances were therefore not taken into account in the ranking.
A strong attacking record at the AFCON
At the Women’s AFCON in Morocco, Temwa Chawinga scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists in 6 matches, for 7 direct contributions. She shared the tournament’s top scorer title with Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Cameroon’s Marie Ngah Manga, and took the Golden Boot thanks to her overall contribution.
Malawi reached the final of the competition in their first appearance. Temwa and her sister Tabitha, also a striker, scored 9 of Malawi’s 12 goals in the tournament, 75% of the Scorchers’ tally.
A ranking without the AFCON
According to the Maravi Post, Temwa Chawinga’s performances could have earned her a place in the top 4, or even the top 2, had the evaluation period included them. This is the newspaper’s assessment, not official ranking data.
Elsewhere in the ranking, Zambia’s Barbra Banda, also the AFCON’s top scorer, finished 18th. Like the Malawian, her continental performances were not taken into account.
On to the African crown
After this distinction, Temwa Chawinga now has her sights set on the African crown. The season continues at club level for the striker.
The Malawian national team have a next fixture coming up, with a continental title in their sights.