Pajor finally gets her winner's medal as Barca claim women's Champions League

After five defeats in Champions League finals, she finally claims victory after scoring two goals in a 4-0 domination of OL Lyonnes

UEFA Women's Champions League - Final - FC Barcelona v OL Lyonnes - Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway - May 23, 2026 FC Barcelona's Ewa Pajor lifts the trophy as she celebrates winning the Women's Champions League with teammates REUTERS/Yves Herman

Barcelona's Ewa Pajor bounced back from five women's Champions League final defeats to win the title at her sixth attempt, scoring twice to set her side on course for a 4-0 win over OL Lyonnes on Saturday that finally got her a winner's medal.

The five defeats in the decider - four with German side VfL Wolfsburg and one with Barca last season - had left the Polish striker wondering if she would ever win the competition.

On Saturday she took matters into her own hands by scoring the first two goals as the Spaniards romped to victory.

"It's the best day in my life. It's a great day. I am grateful to be part of this great team. I don't know what more I want to say because I am very emotional today," the 29-year-old Pajor told reporters.

"I want to say thank you to my teammates for their hard work every day, to be here again and to win in the final.

"Of course, losing five finals was difficult but I never give up and I give my best for my team. Today we won this prize and I'm very happy and very proud to be a Barca player, to play with this great team and am just grateful for this," she added.

Pajor spurned a couple of gilt-edged chances in the first half, lobbing just wide and then blasting off target with the goal at her mercy, but she did not dwell on those misses.

When a chance at redemption presented itself 10 minutes into the second half, she grabbed it with both hands.

A pass from Lyon's Norway striker Ada Hegerberg was intercepted by Patri Giujarro and after a quick one-two Patri took off on a surging run before picking out Pajor.

The goal-poacher was calmness personified, taking the ball in her stride and stroking it into the far corner.

Her second goal effectively killed the game and, though Salma Paralluelo also netted a late double, it was Pajor who got the glory and Player of the Game award for her contribution, and she celebrated on the field wrapped in a Polish flag.

"I missed two great chances but we played from the first minute a good game. Of course it was tough because Lyon is also good team but we know what we want to do in this game," Pajor added.