Polish FC Barcelona forward nominated for 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or

Polish footballer and FC Barcelona forward Ewa Pajor has been shortlisted for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award for the best female footballer of the year.

FC Barcelona's Polish striker Ewa Pajor (R) scores with a header against Milan defender Allyson Swaby during the Women Joan Gamper Trophy soccer match between FC Barcelona and AC Milan, at the Johan Cruyff stadium in Sant Joan Despi, Barcelona, Spain, 23 August 2024.

EPA/Quique Garcia

The award, which is being jointly organized for the first time by France Football and UEFA, will be presented at a ceremony on October 28.

Pajor, who signed a three-year contract with FC Barcelona this summer after transferring from Germany’s VfL Wolfsburg, is one of 30 nominees in her category. In the previous edition of the Ballon d’Or, she placed 18th.

Nominated for the 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or

Ewa Pajor@VfL_Frauen / @FCBfemeni@laczynaskobieca#ballondor pic.twitter.com/JYnBTjqVIj

— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 4, 2024

In the men's category, 30 players have also been nominated, including Lionel Messi, an eight-time recipient of the award. Despite his Copa America success, Messi is not considered the frontrunner this year.

Experts predict that players from Real Madrid and the Spanish national team are likely to dominate the race for the top prize. This group includes Vinicius Jr, Rodri, and Jude Bellingham. Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, known for his goal-scoring prowess at Manchester City, is also considered a strong contender.

France Football has awarded the Ballon d’Or to the best player since 1956, with the selection made by 100 sports journalists, one from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings.

(jh)

Source: PAP