Barbra Banda was the highest-ranking female African player in the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards after she placed 14th, Afrosport reports.
The 25-year-old Zambian had a 2024 to remember as she helped Orlando Pride to their first-ever National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) title, scoring 17 goals in 25 games and was crowned the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
She is currently sidelined with a hip abductor injury since last month and has been ruled out for the rest of the 2025 NWSL season.
Ranked at the 14th place for the 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or!
Barbra Banda
Orlando Pride
Zambia#ballondor pic.twitter.com/TN1Q6Q9urn— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025
The other female African player on the list is Temwa Chawinga who came in 17th place. The younger sister of Malawi star Tabitha Chawinga, has been one of the standout players in the NWSL with Kansas City Current.
She finished the 2024 campaign as top scorer with 21 goals in 27 games and currently leads the charts again with 13 goals in 20 games, with the Current presently 16 points clear of Washington Spirit in the standings.
Ranked at the 17th place for the 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or!
Temwa Chawinga
Kansas City Current
Malawi#ballondor pic.twitter.com/wJ6EFguSok— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025
Both Banda and Chawinga were ranked higher than Bayern Munich and Denmark attacking midfielder Pernille Harder (20th) and Gotham FC and Spain striker Esther Gonzalez (22nd).
