Pajor's journey to world's most prolific striker

As nan second-lowest classed squad astatine Euro 2025, not galore group would springiness Poland overmuch of a dream astatine this summer's tournament.

But that would not return into relationship their prima striker, Ewa Pajor.

After a record-breaking debut play pinch Barcelona, nan 28-year-old goes into nan title arsenic nan astir prolific striker successful nan world.

It has not been a straightforward travel for nan Pole, who has flooded a career-threatening oculus illness connected nan way, and while she has been rewarded pinch trophies astatine nine level, it is her achievements pinch nan nationalist squad which mean nan most.

"Representing your state and starring it to its first awesome tourney is thing you transportation successful your bosom forever," Pajor told BBC Sport.

Despite being drawn successful a daunting group which contains eight-time Euros winners Germany, 2021 Olympic metallic medallists Sweden and 2017 Euros runners-up Denmark, Pajor says Poland tin make their mark.

"We're not conscionable location to participate - we want to compete."

She grew up connected a workplace extracurricular Uniejow, a spa municipality of less than 2,000 group successful cardinal Poland.

If she wasn't helping pinch nan cows, she played shot pinch her brothers - she was 1 of 5 siblings - arsenic good arsenic nan section boys, outscoring them arsenic if she were her idol Cristiano Ronaldo.

After she was spotted playing pinch section squad Orleta Wielenin - she was nan only woman playing - Pajor's superior schoolhouse PE coach started to return her to tournaments successful nan municipality of Konin arsenic her parents could not return clip disconnected from nan farm.

Soon Pajor joined nan younker strategy of women's nine Medyk Konin and she and older sister Paulina moved into a dormitory an hr from home.

Homesickness deed Pajor hard, but her parents had brought up a reliable child.

"My ambition comes from my parents," she told DAZN. "From a young property I saw really hard-working and eager they are. They instilled that successful me, arsenic good arsenic ne'er giving up."

It was astatine Medyk that Pajor first met Nina Patalon, now Poland's caput coach, who astatine nan clip was coaching successful nan club's younker set-up.

Patalon - nan first female successful Poland to person a Uefa Pro Diploma - has coached thousands of girls and women complete nan years, but she still remembers nan infinitesimal she first saw a 10-year-old Pajor.

"Ewa came to 1 of my sessions pinch girls 2 years older than her, this mini woman pinch a shot almost bigger than her," Patalon told BBC Sport.

"At first, I thought she was measurement excessively mini for nan group. But past she started playing, and we were each stunned.

"Her speed, coordination, nan measurement she moved pinch nan shot - it was simply extraordinary. The older girls couldn't grip her.

"Right aft that training session, I called our nine president and said: 'We person to do everything to bring this woman here. She's a Galactico.' That was nan opening of a very typical journey."

Pajor made her elder debut for Medyk - coached by Patalon - astatine 15 years and 133 days, scoring doubly arsenic she go nan youngest subordinate to look successful Poland's apical flight.

She went connected to people 64 goals successful 60 convention games for nan nine earlier joining German giants Wolfsburg successful 2015.

Moving to a nine that was a fixture successful nan Champions League, and playing successful a beingness home league, was a immense measurement up for Pajor - she told DAZN that she was "very bladed pinch nary muscles" astatine nan time.

It was successful 2017 successful Germany that Pajor was diagnosed pinch keratoconus, a degenerative oculus illness that tin origin blurriness and extremity nan oculus from focusing properly.

The rumor threatened her career, but 2 surgeries and adaptive interaction lenses allowed her to proceed her development.

After making humble contributions to Wolfsburg's Frauen-Bundesliga title wins successful 2016-17 and 2017-18, Pajor scored 24 goals successful 19 games successful 2018-19 arsenic her broadside won a 3rd successive title.

Pajor followed that up pinch 17 goals successful 16 games arsenic Wolfsburg again won nan title successful 2019-20, earlier wounded disrupted nan pursuing 2 campaigns.

Nine goals successful nan 2022-23 Women's Champions League took Wolfsburg to nan final, during which she scored nan opener.

Yet for nan 4th clip successful her profession Pajor was connected nan losing broadside arsenic Wolfsburg surrendered a 2-0 lead to suffer 3-2 to Barcelona successful Eindhoven.

After scoring 136 goals successful 196 games for Wolfsburg, past summertime Barcelona paid a reported interest of complete 400,000 euros (currently £342,000) to return her, past aged 27, to Catalonia.

The value and standards astatine Barcelona are specified that it often takes caller signings months to find their feet, but that was nary rumor for Pajor.

The Pole enjoyed nan champion debut play successful nan club's history, scoring 43 goals successful 46 games successful each competitions to thief Barca triumph a convention and cup double.

Not only did Pajor triumph nan Pichichi Trophy arsenic nan apical scorer successful Liga F past season, but astatine nan clip of penning she is nan top-scoring subordinate - female aliases antheral - successful nan world successful 2025 pinch 29 goals.

Though Barcelona lost to Arsenal successful nan Champions League final - bringing her tally of defeats successful Europe's premier nine tournament's showpiece to 5 - she undoubtedly improved a squad that was already adjacent to perfection.

"Barca and Pajor person improved each other. Her presence gave Barca a number nine, a killer," Spanish shot journalist Julia Gimenez Funes told BBC Sport.

"After Asisat Oshoala's departure past year, Salma Paralluelo filled that position and did very good moreover though it wasn't her earthy position.

"However, Barca needed a axenic centre-forward for illustration Pajor who could return advantage of passes from Patri Guijarro, Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati."

Speaking earlier nan Champions League last successful May, Barca leader Pere Romeu said that "having Ewa Pajor successful nan container gives america much beingness than we had before".

Barcelona person not only taught Pajor a caller measurement to play shot - she drops deeper and gets much progressive successful build-up play than she did astatine Wolfsburg - but different aspects of nan crippled arsenic well.

"What amazed maine astir was nan attraction connected squad civilization and details," Pajor told BBC Sport.

"It's not conscionable talent - it's discipline, humility, and nan will to amended constantly.

"Being location has helped maine turn arsenic a player, but besides arsenic a person. And I'm bringing that acquisition backmost pinch maine to nan nationalist team."

As Poland's all-time starring extremity scorer pinch - astatine nan clip of penning - 68 goals successful 101 appearances, it was fitting Pajor scored nan astir important extremity successful nan history of Polish women's football.

Hanging connected to a 1-0 aggregate lead against Austria successful nan 2nd limb of their Euro 2025 qualification play-off successful Vienna, Pajor smashed location from adjacent scope successful nan 4th infinitesimal of stoppage clip to unafraid victory.

Pajor collapsed down successful tears astatine nan last whistle, Poland's spot astatine a awesome tourney for nan very first clip secured connected her 28th birthday.

"It was 1 of nan astir affectional moments of my life," Pajor told BBC Sport.

"Knowing we had made history - it's difficult to describe. I've won titles astatine nine level, but this was different.

"It's not conscionable astir maine - it's astir nan team, nan journey, and each small woman watching who now knows this is possible."

Though Poland mislaid each of their Euros qualifiers - they earned a spot successful nan play-offs by winning their group successful nan 2023-24 Uefa Women's Nations League - Pajor is bullish connected their chances.

"We've grown truthful overmuch arsenic a group, and I judge successful nan activity we've done," she said.

"I'm motivated by nan chance to show that we beryllium connected this stage. That Poland tin dream big."