Poland forward Ewa Pajor finished second in the 2026 women's Ballon d'Or, losing out to Spain's Alexia Putellas in the race for football’s top individual accolade. Pajor, 29, has had a remarkable year, scoring 34 goals in 46 appearances for her club Barcelona during the 2025-26 season. The Catalan club won four major trophies, including the Women's Champions League, where Pajor finished as top scorer with 11 goals. She scored twice in Barca's 4-0 victory over Lyon in the final in Oslo. The Ballon d’Or podium spot marks another individual milestone for Poland's captain, who won the Gerd Müller Trophy at last year's ceremony. She also led Poland to a debut appearance at the Women's European Championship in 2025. Putellas, Pajor's former Barcelona teammate, won the women's award for a third time at the ceremony in London on Monday. Harry Kane won the men's prize, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to become the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001.
