* Voting process open through link; https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cj20velkgnypo
* Voting closes on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 09:00 GMT
* The five-player shortlist include Ewa Pajor (Barcelona/Poland); Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses/Spain); Alessia Russo (Arsenal/England) and Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (Manchester City/Jamaica)
By Duncan Mlanjira
Malawi Scorchers and Kansas City (KC) Current’s forward, Temwa Chawinga, has been nominated for the prestigious BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2026 alongside four others.
The BBC World Service reports that the voting process is now open through the link; https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cj20velkgnypo — to close on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 09h00 GMT.
The five-player shortlist include Ewa Pajor from Poland, who one of Europe’s top women football side, Barcelona; Alexia Putellas from Spain for London City Lionesses; Alessia Russo from England for Arsenal and Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw from Jamaica for Manchester City.
The BBC indicates that for the first time in the award’s history, the winner will be announced as part of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday, December 13, 2026 as well as on the BBC World Service and the BBC Sport website and app.
Contenders for the award — now in its 12th year — are nominated by coaches, journalists and former professionals, who will consider performance based on the period September 2025 to August 2026.
The résumé for Temwa Chawinga includes that the 28-year-old Malawi and KC Current Kansas City forward “has established herself as one of the world’s most prolific forwards”.
Temwa in action for KC Current in the USA’s NWSL
“Her impact on the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is clear. Her extraordinary form helped Kansas City Current clinch the NWSL Shield as the league’s top team in the regular season.
“Chawinga scored 15 goals in the 2025 season as she became the first player to be named NWSL MVP in back-to-back campaigns.
“She also won the Golden Boot for the second year in a row. Those performances earned her a contract extension through until 2029.
“Chawinga returned to international football with Malawi for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON).
“Alongside her sister Tabitha, she helped Malawi reach the country’s first WAfCON final and — in doing so — qualify for the Women’s World Cup for the first time.
“Chawinga scored against Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Algeria at WAfCON, winning the tournament’s Golden Boot with five goals,” reports the BBC.
Temwa also has an edge as she became the first African woman football player to finish in the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or Feminin 2026 rankings.
This is her second career Ballon d’Or nomination as the forward finished 17th in the voting in 2025.
Along with her sister Tabitha have once more been nominated for the African Women Player of the Year award after the two finished in final 5 nominees for the 2023 edition.
Two African women football players won the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year — with Nigeria’s legend, Asisat Oshoala taking the inaugural title in 2015 and Zambia’s Barbra Banda in 2024.
It has been dominated by English nationals, Kim Little (2016), Lucy Bronze (2018 & 2020), Beth Mead, (2022), Mary Earps (2023) and Hannah Hampton (2025).
Other nationals are Vivianne Miedema of The Netherlands in 2021, and Ada Hegerberg of Norway (2017 & 2019).
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