Charlyn Corral claimed the Women's Striker of the Year award at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, becoming the first Mexican footballer — men's or women's — to win an individual category. The Pachuca Femenil forward beat out Ewa Pajor for the Gerd Müller Trophy after putting up 43 goals and 11 assists across 46 matches this season.
Charlyn Corral's Record-Breaking Run Earns Golden Boot, Gerd Müller Trophy
In Liga MX Femenil alone, the 35-year-old netted 20 goals in 21 matches to claim the league's Golden Boot. She struck twice to lift Pachuca to a third-place Concacaf W Champions Cup finish in May of this year. And just a day before the Ballon d'Or ceremony, Corral was adding to her 2026 tally, bagging a hat trick in Pachuca's 5-0 win over Necaxa.
Onstage at the London Palladium, Corral saluted the broader rise of Mexico women's soccer. She asked the crowd to applaud fellow Mexican Scarlett Camberos, a Women's Ballon d'Or nominee who also made history.
"When you do things with faith, but above all with your heart, everything is worthwhile," Corral said, before thanking her coaches, family, and teammates.
Corral's night capped a journey that began when she first turned heads leading Spain's top flight in scoring with Levante UD in 2017/18. Two decades later, she's still finding the back of the net.
