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FIFA revealed recently that the three finalists for the 2021 Puskas Award would be given for the most outstanding goal last year. They also stated that the voting for the 11 magnificent goals of 2021 came to an end on December 17. After the voting, the choices were narrowed to three goals which will now compete for the award. For Indian sports enthusiasts who’ve been betting on football with the bonus code Betway India, the mentioned goals being voted for, will not be new. So, whose goal will prevail over the rest and grab this award?
The Contenders
FIFA mentioned in their statement they will reveal the winner of the award during the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony, which will be held in Zurich, Switzerland, on January 17th. The three contenders are Argentine striker Erik Lamela, Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi, and Czech forward Patrik Schick.
The award was established in 2009 to name the most artistic goal of the previous year. It was also meant to pay tribute to Ferenc Puskas, a Hungarian football legend. Puskas played for Real Madrid in the late 1950s and 1960s. Moreover, he was regarded as one of the greatest footballers by many. He died in 2006, aged 79.
Erik Lamela
The Argentine striker is one nominee for the award. He got to this list thanks to his goal in a match between Arsenal and Tottenham in an EPL match on March 14, 2021.
Patrik Schick
Schick’s goal while on international duty was in the Czech Republic and Scotland match in the UEFA EURO 2020. The match was played on June 14, 2021.
Mehdi Taremi
The Iranian scored a stunner in a match between Chelsea and Porto in the UEFA Champions League. The match was played on April 13th, 2021.
Son Is the Current Holder of the Award
The 2020 winner was Son Heung-min. This was for his outstanding goal against Burnley in an EPL match. The Tottenham Hotspurs forward took 12 uninterrupted touches to score an amazing goal. Other interesting statistics of the winner of the Puskas award include:
- Reports reveal that 92% of the FIFA Puskas Award-Winning goals helped the scorer’s teams to victory. The only exception is Neymar’s wonder goal in 2011 for Santos. But Ronaldinho’s hat-trick inspired Flamengo to a historic comeback.
- Three winners of this award were scored in the EPL. No other competition boasted more than one. Therefore, if Lamela wins this year’s award, it will take the record to four. The other winners were Olivier Giroud, Mo Salah, and Son Heung-min.
This month, there is a possibility that a new nationality with lift the FIFA Puskas Award: Iranian, Czech, and Argentinean. Surprisingly, an Argentinean has never won the award. Lamela’s nomination is their 12th, with seven coming from Lionel Messi. Will they finally win the award this year? There are a few days to find out!
You can join the discussion about who should win the awards by using the hashtag #TheBest.
