Ewa Pajor has finished second in the women's Ballon d'Or, marking the best individual achievement of her career at the awards ceremony in London.
The Poland captain finished just behind her FC Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas on 26 October at the 70th Ballon d'Or gala staged by France Football. It was the eighth time the organizers have presented an award for the best female player in the world.
The runner-up finish capped an outstanding campaign for Pajor, who won four trophies with Barcelona. She helped the Catalan club claim the Champions League, the Spanish league title, the Spanish Cup and the Spanish Super Cup.
Over the course of the season, Pajor made 46 appearances in all competitions, scoring 34 goals and providing eight assists. She also finished as the top scorer in the Champions League with 11 goals.
Ballon d'Or top ten rankings
Pajor entered the evening among the leading contenders on a 30-player shortlist, alongside teammates Putellas and Claudia Pina. Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw took third place, followed by Melchie Dumornay in fourth and Patri Guijarro in fifth. Caroline Graham Hansen placed sixth, ahead of Pernille Harder, Pina, Alessia Russo and Temwa Chawinga.
Aitana Bonmati, who won the award in each of the previous three years, was ruled out of contention this year because of injury. At the previous gala, Pajor finished eighth and made history as the first woman to receive the Gerd Müller Trophy for the most goals scored in a campaign.
Barcelona dominance in London
The ceremony in London proved a sweeping success for FC Barcelona across multiple honours. In addition to Putellas and Pajor taking the top two places in the voting, Barcelona coach Pere Romeu collected the women's coach of the year award, and the Spanish side was named the best women's team in the world.
Established in 1956, the Ballon d'Or is presented annually by the French sports magazine France Football and stands as the most prestigious individual accolade in world football. The strong showing by Putellas, Pajor and Romeu underlines Barcelona's enduring dominance at the highest level of the women's game.
