One of the deadliest strikers of her generation, Ewa Pajor was born for the global stage. The Polish sharp-shooter has blazed a trail in club and international football over the past decade, scoring goals at an astonishing rate and terrorising opposition defences.
She has won plethora of team and individual titles with Wolfsburg and current team Barcelona. Pajor has also helped Poland qualify for last year’s UEFA Women’s EURO, their maiden major senior women’s competition.
To date, however, this bona fide superstar has yet to grace the greatest tournament of them all. Poland have never qualified the FIFA Women’s World Cup™️, but with the prolific Pajor spearheading a team with several other high-quality operators, optimism is high they can break their duck.
“Every small child who plays football dreams about the biggest tournaments,” Pajor told FIFA. “Our first tournament was, of course, the EURO. Now we want to go to the World Cup. I can’t describe what it would be like. It would be something so special. Like a dream come true.”
Poland’s Brazil 2027 qualification bid will begin with a pair of heavyweight tests against the Netherlands on 3 March and France four days later. They will go into those matches unbeaten in their past five games, a run which has included eye-catching wins over Denmark and Wales as well as a draw with the Dutch.
“The last year has been very good for us, but we have worked well in the four years up until this point,” said Pajor. “This makes us confident. We start our journey, in a way, to the World Cup. This is our goal.”
Pajor is joined in the Polish squad by the likes of Barcelona team-mate Emilia Szymczak, Paris Saint-Germain defender Paulina Dudek and midfielder Ewelina Kamczyk of AC Milan. The 29-year-old explained how the team’s elite talent is matched by an unbreakable team bond.
“The one thing that makes our team better and stronger is that we are like a family,” she said. “This also gives us confidence. We know that the journey to the World Cup is very long and will be very tough. But we are ready.”
Poland’s fine sequence of results has taken them to their highest-ever position (24th) on the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking. Pajor’s consistent brilliance has helped fuel that charge, with the striker bringing her fabulous form at club level on to the international scene.
Pajor embarked on a new chapter in her career when she joined Barcelona in 2024 after nine years with Wolfsburg. She adapted seamlessly to her new surroundings and finished her debut campaign with an incredible 43 goals in 46 matches.
She won the Liga F Golden Boot award and is leading the scoring charts again this term. Pajor has also underlined her status as a big-game player with a brace against Real Madrid, as well as goals in UEFA Women’s Champions League showdowns with Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Benfica.
On what it means to play for Barcelona, she said: “Just being part of this legendary club, being part of this team with these special players… For me, it’s great. I’m very proud.”
Pajor has long been revered for her ruthless finishing and devastating penalty-box movement. Since joining Barça, her creativity and link-up play have also regularly impressed; her nine league assists in 2024/25 were bettered only by team-mates Alexia Putellas and Caroline Graham Hansen in the Spanish top-flight.
“Of course, the style of Barcelona is different,” Pajor said. “Barcelona is a big team. I enjoy being there every day and it makes me better as a player, as a person. I think in every detail in the game (I have got better). The quality of the players is so high, so I improve every day.”
A world-class striker who captains Poland, is the country’s all-time top scorer and leads the line for Barcelona, Pajor’s parallels with Robert Lewandowski are obvious. Pajor revealed how she has closely observed the 37-year-old’s game, as well as praising his warmth and humility.
“Of course, I look at how Robert plays,” said Pajor. “He is a great striker. I look at how he moves and some of his skills.
“Robert is a very good guy. We have met and we had an interview together (for Barcelona club media). We had a conversation about football. He is very open. It’s great to have some Polish players in Barcelona. We are proud to be at the best club in the world.”
Lewandowski has captained Poland at two World Cups and Pajor is now determined to lead her team to the global finals for the first time. She explained why Brazil hosting next year’s showpiece makes that prospect all the more tantalising.
“We know Brazil has so much passion for football,” she said. “We know that the legend Marta has done amazing things, not just for Brazil, but for women’s football across the world. Our dream is to be part of this great tournament. I hope we can qualify and experience the feeling of how Brazil is obsessed with football.”
