Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal and Arsenal star Declan Rice are among the 11 nominees for the FIFA 2025 Puskas Award. The global honour recognising the most breathtaking goal of the year kicked off on Thursday as FIFA revealed the shortlists for both the men’s and women’s prizes. The award, named after Real Madrid icon Ferenc Puskas, recognises the finest goal scored between 11 August 2024 and 2 August 2025, and this year’s competition is stacked with elite talent.
Yamal’s brilliance and Rice’s rocket steal the spotlight
Yamal earned his nomination for a stunning left-footed curler against Espanyol. It was a moment of individual brilliance that effectively clinched the league title for Barcelona. Cutting in from the right, he opened his body and sent the ball spinning into the far top corner, a finish dripping with maturity well beyond his teenage years.
Whereas, Rice stunned the Champions League with one of the most audacious free kicks in recent memory. His nomination came for the second of his two spectacular dead-ball strikes against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. From a seemingly impossible angle, Rice trusted his capabilities and whipped an outrageous shot into the top corner to give Arsenal a famous 3–0 first-leg win.
"To score my first free kick in a game is a special one. And then when I got the second one. I just had the confidence. I'm speechless, really," Rice told Amazon Prime after the Real Madrid game in April.
"When you score a goal, it's the best feeling in the world. It didn't make sense from that angle to cross the ball. It would have to be a delicate pass. And when I saw the wall, it didn't make sense to cross. You know what, I'm happy I took it because it was magic."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWho are the nominees of the FIFA Puskas and Marta award?
FIFA Puskas Award 2025 nominees
Alerrandro | Vitoria v. Cruzeiro | 19 August 2024
Alessandro Deiola | Cagliari v. Venezia | 18 May 2025
Pedro de la Vega | Cruz Azul v. Seattle Sounders | 31 July 2025
Santiago Montiel | Independiente v. Independiente Rivadavia | 11 May 2025
Amr Nasser | Al Ahly v. Pharco | 17 April 2025
Carlos Orrantía | Querétaro v. Atlas | 16 April 2025
Lucas Ribeiro | Mamelodi Sundowns v. Borussia Dortmund | 21 June 2025
Declan Rice | Arsenal v. Real Madrid | 8 April 2025
Rizky Ridho | Persija Jakarta v. Arema | 9 March 2025
Kévin Rodrigues | Kasımpaşa v. Rizespor | 9 February 2025
Lamine Yamal | Espanyol v. Barcelona | 15 May 2025
FIFA Marta Award 2025 Nominees
Jordyn Bugg | North Carolina Courage v. Seattle Reign | 22 March 2025
Mariona Caldentey | Olympique Lyonnais v. Arsenal | 27 April 2025
Ashley Cheatley | Brentford v. Ascot United |3 November 2024
Kyra Cooney-Cross | Germany v. Australia | 28 October 2024
Jon Ryong-jong | Korea DPR v. Argentina | 2 September 2024
Marta | Orlando Pride v. Kansas City Current | 17 November 2024
Vivianne Miedema | Wales v. Netherlands |5 July 2025
Kishi Núñez|Argentina v. Costa Rica |8 September 2024
Lizbeth Ovalle | Tigres v. Guadalajara | 3 March 2025
Ally Sentnor | USA v. Colombia | 20 February 2025
Khadija Shaw | Hammarby v. Manchester City | 21 November 2024
The legacy of greatness: A look back at previous Puskas Winners
The Puskas Award, introduced in 2009, has become one of the most cherished individual honours in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo’s thunderbolt for Manchester United against Porto in the Champions League remains one of the most astonishing long-range strikes in European history. From nearly 40 yards out, he unleashed a missile into the top corner, and that was the first Puskas winner.
In 2011, a 19-year-old Neymar announced himself to the world with a goal that seemed sculpted from a video game. Picking up the ball near the halfway line for Santos, he slalomed past four defenders before putting up a composed finish. And the Puskas Award was almost inevitable.
The Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, took home the prize for his solo run against Everton in the Merseyside derby. Salah dribbled inside from the right, held off defenders with brute strength, then bent an unstoppable curler into the far corner. It was a quintessential Salah finish, and the Puskas Award was his in 2018.
Getty Images SportWho will decide the Puskas winner?
Fans can now view all nominated goals on FIFA.com, with voting split 50/50 between supporters and a panel of FIFA Legends. The winners will be crowned at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025.