KC Current's Temwa Chawinga Emerges as Dark Horse Ballon d'Or Contender

The 2025 Ballon d'Or Féminin nominee list includes several recognizable names. Since 2021, the honor for the world's top female soccer player has been controlled by FC Barcelona midfield stars Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí. Each player holds two awards.

Prior to their reign, Megan Rapinoe claimed the 2019 prize, undoubtedly securing it through her remarkable performances at the 2019 Women's World Cup. During that tournament, Rapinoe guided the U.S. women's national squad to their fourth championship, netting six goals and providing two assists, including double strikes against Spain in the round of 16 and France in the quarterfinals.

When the women's Ballon d'Or debuted in 2018, Norwegian sensation Ada Hegerberg claimed the first-ever trophy. The unquestionable world leader, the striker had just completed a French league and Champions League championship campaign with Lyon, netting 53 goals across 33 matches (yes, that figure is accurate).

Nevertheless, throughout the past seven years, women's football has experienced tremendous growth. While international competition and the UEFA Women's Champions League remain headline grabbers and influence voter decisions, the growing significance of domestic league performance in elite divisions on Ballon d'Or consideration cannot be ignored.

Introducing Temwa Chawinga.

Looking Beyond the Trophies

The time has come to expand our perspective on what defines the world's finest player, which requires examining the consistent weekly performances of players like Chawinga.

Given that the striker represents Malawi internationally, she faces a considerable disadvantage regarding visibility among the voting panel—even compared to many African peers like fellow nominees Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride, Zambia) and Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, Nigeria), who have both competed in the Olympics and Women's Africa Cup of Nations recently.

Bonmatí's 2023 Ballon d'Or victory followed Barcelona's Champions League triumph and Spain's World Cup success. In 2024, Bonmatí secured the award again despite Spain's Olympic quarterfinal elimination, though Barcelona once more captured the Champions League.

In 2024, four USWNT athletes (Lindsey Heaps (né Horan), Mal Swanson, Sophia Wilson (né Smith) and Trinity Rodman, earned spots in the Ballon d'Or top 10 for the first time. This achievement largely resulted from the USWNT's Olympic gold medal victory in Paris.

While these competitions undeniably influence the award heavily, Chawinga's remarkable productivity in a premier league deserves greater recognition.

The NWSL's Tricky Schedule

Naturally, reducing Chawinga's nomination to solely league performance isn't straightforward since the NWSL season runs from March through November. Therefore, in Ballon d'Or evaluation, which assesses players based on European calendar year performance (summer to summer), Chawinga isn't judged on one complete season.

Rather, Chawinga's performance within the Ballon d'Or timeframe includes the conclusion of the 2024 campaign and the initial two-thirds of 2025.

Regarding this year, it's also unfortunate that Chawinga's team, Kansas City Current, will almost certainly capture the 2025 NWSL Shield for leading the table. However, that achievement won't count toward Ballon d'Or voting until 2026 due to the European calendar, while her 2024 NWSL Golden Boot doesn't hold equivalent significance within this timeframe.

During this Ballon d'Or period, Chawinga netted 12 goals in 2024 and added eight more in the 2025 voting span. Those 20 goals came across 26 matches: 22 in NWSL play, two playoff contests, and two Summer Cup fixtures.

While Chawinga's remarkable rate of scoring every 109 minutes for Current across NWSL competitions is noteworthy, as an isolated statistic, other strikers like Barcelona's Ewa Pajor (scoring every 80 minutes) have surpassed her pace.

However, in Spanish Liga F, where Pajor scored 25 goals, the Polish striker faces weaker competition than Chawinga encounters in the NWSL. While top NWSL teams may not match Arsenal or Barcelona's financial resources, the weakest NWSL club significantly outperforms some bottom-tier Spanish teams.

This precisely highlights Chawinga's exceptional quality. While Pajor recorded hat tricks in 10–1 victories over Granada and 7–1 wins against Espanyol, Chawinga managed just one multi-goal performance during this span—a brace in the Summer Cup final versus Gotham FC.

Chawinga's ability to score 20 goals while finding the net in 19 different matches demonstrates her capacity to provide greater team value through result-changing performances against superior opposition compared to many European nominees.

Despite Pajor's 25 Liga F goals last season, she scored in only 14 games, with Barcelona winning each by at least three goals. Conversely, in Chawinga's 19 scoring appearances, Current won by three-goal margins just four times, and on 14 occasions, Chawinga's goals directly influenced Kansas City's results.

Assigning objective value to goals proves challenging. Yet Chawinga's steady contributions spread evenly throughout NWSL competition make her a more decisive match-winner than numerous other Ballon d'Or candidates.

More Than a Goalscorer

Finally, while Chawinga's record-setting goals define her reputation, reducing her impact to simply scoring would be misguided.

Even without possession during her signature lightning-fast counter-attacks, Chawinga frequently creates opportunities for teammates. She serves as a stretch player, commanding defensive attention that opens space for others.

Chawinga also excels defensively, serving as a committed marker preventing opponents from building attacks. She regularly tracks runners and contributes to counter-pressing efforts. Kansas City approaches NWSL defensive records this season, with Chawinga playing a crucial role in their stability. The team has already matched the clean sheet record (13) and remains on track to allow the fewest goals in league history.

Perhaps Chawinga will emerge as a more obvious Ballon d'Or winner next season. By then, Kansas City will likely have established additional records, claimed the 2025 NWSL Shield, and stands favored to capture the championship as well.

However, for this year, her current achievements deserve serious consideration. She undoubtedly ranks among the world's elite forwards, and this year's Ballon d'Or outcome should acknowledge that reality.