Malawian women’s football star Temwa Chawinga has been nominated for the US 2026 Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Awards.
The Kansas City Current and Scorchers prolific forward has been nominated in the Best Soccer Player category alongside Argentine record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and reigning male Ballon d’Or and Fifa men’s Best Player Ousmane Dembele of France.
She will also be up against former Women’s Ballon d’Or and Fifa Women’s Best Player Alexis Putellas of Barcelona and Spain.
According to espn.com, the event is scheduled for July 15 in New York and it celebrates the biggest names in sports. Winners are determined through a two-step process, nomination by a specialised panel and final selection by online fan voting which is currently underway.
Temwa has been nominated for her exploits in the US National Women’s Soccer League which saw her winning the golden boot and the Most Valuable Player awards back-to-back.
She was also one of the only two African players that were nominated for the 2025 Ballon d’Or Award alongside Zambian Barbara Banda and was the only African nominated for the 2025 Fifa Women’s Best Player Award.
The 27-year-old was also nominated for the 2025 Africa Women’s Footballer of the Year Award.
In an interview, Temwa said she feels honoured with the recognition.
She said: “To me, the recognition alone is a big honour and I owe it to Almighty God.
“Credit should also go to my teammates because without them, I cannot be recognised. It is all down to team work.”
Malawi National Council of Sports board chairperson Jim Kalua said Temwa’s nomination is proof that she is considered among the best athletes in the US.
He said: “Looking at the list of nominees, it is clear that they regard her in high esteem and we hope she will be able to translate her performance at club level to the national team.
“Otherwise, we are proud that she continues to fly the Malawi flag high.”
Last year’s Best Soccer Player award was won by Christian Pulisic of US and Inter Milan. The other nominees were Spanish teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, reigning Women’s Ballon d’Or and Fifa Women’s Best Player Aitana Bonmati and Putellas.
The ESPY Awards were introduced 1993 and they are aimed at recognizing individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony.
