SI

2025 Puskas Award: Winner, Full List of Goals Nominated

Some extraordinary goals were nominated for the 2025 prize.

Ewan Ross-Murray

Declan Rice (right) is among the nominees.
Declan Rice (right) is among the nominees. / Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

What makes a goal truly beautiful remains subjective, but the 11 nominees for the 2025 FIFA Puskás Award are objectively stunning.

The Puskás Award, named after legendary Hungarian Ferenc Puskás, was conceived in 2009 and has set about completing the unenviable task of crowning the most aesthetically beautiful strike each year.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Mohamed Salah are among the esteemed winners of yesteryear, but an array of lesser-known names have clinched the prize previously. Goals scored in Malaysia, Poland and Hungary have all been awarded the ultimate honor.

Independiente’s Santiago Montiel picked up 2025’s prize with an outrageous overhead kick from outside the box, fending off competition from a whole host of glorious strikes.

Here are all the stunning goals nominated for the 2025 Puskás Award.

FREE NEWSLETTER. New SI FC Newsletter Global Embed. Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC. dark

Alerrandro

  • Fixture: Vitória vs. Cruzeiro
  • Date: Aug. 19, 2024

Overhead kicks always rank well in the Puskás Award vote, with Alerrandro’s opportune acrobatics earning him a nomination this year. The Vitória forward took advantage of an unconvincing looped clearance as he swivelled and rattled beyond the Cruzeiro goalkeeper with his back to goal.

Watch here.

Alessandro Deiola

  • Fixture: Cagliari vs. Venezia
  • Date: May 18, 2025

Cagliari turned into prime Barcelona during their Serie A clash with Venezia late in the 2024–25 season. An intricate one-touch passing move down their left flank resulted in Alessandro Deiola collecting a neat flick, before curling an inch-perfect effort into the top corner from just inside the penalty area.

Watch here.

Pedro de la Vega

  • Fixture: Cruz Azul vs. Seattle Sounders
  • Date: July 31, 2025

Volleys don’t come much more spectacular than Pedro de la Vega’s awe-inspiring strike for Seattle Sounders against Cruz Azul. A cross-field switch was turned into a surprise assist as the Argentine fired an exquisite effort into the far top corner from the left-hand side of penalty area. One that gets better with every watch.

Watch here.

Santiago Montiel

  • Fixture: Independiente vs. Independiente Rivadavia
  • Date: May 11, 2025

There could be an argument to suggest that Santiago Montiel fouled his marker moments before scoring an astonishing overhead kick from outside the box for Independiente in Argentina, but that doesn’t detract from what is an audacious and remarkable strike. A worthy winner.

Watch here.

Amr Nasser

  • Fixture: Al Ahly vs. Pharco
  • Date: April 17, 2025

Blink and you’ll miss out. Channelling his inner Wayne Rooney and Alejandro Garnacho, Pharco’s Amr Nasser produced an acrobatic volley that was as powerful as it was gorgeous, flying beyond the Al Ahly goalkeeper before he had the opportunity to set himself.

Watch here.

Carlos Orrantia

  • Fixture: Querétaro vs. Atlas
  • Date: April 16, 2025

Some unconvincing goalkeeping doesn’t take away from Carlos Orrantia’s staggering strike against Atlas in Mexico’s top tier. Collecting a poor punch from the Querétaro stopper, Orrantia proceeds to control the ball, juggle it off his left boot and knee, before thrashing a wicked shot into the top corner with pinpoint accuracy.

Watch here.

Lucas Ribeiro

  • Fixture: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund
  • Date: June 21, 2025

While one of the weaker contenders for the 2025 award, Lucas Ribeiro’s strike at the summer’s FIFA Club World Cup was still a lovely effort. The Mamelodi Sundowns forward drove through the heart of the Borussia Dortmund defence from inside his own half and then powered beyond Gregor Kobel to score the opener in a bonkers 4–3 defeat for the South Africans.

Watch here.

Declan Rice

  • Fixture: Arsenal vs. Real Madrid
  • Date: April 8, 2025

Declan Rice’s first free kick in Arsenal’s 3–0 win over Real Madrid was a lovely effort, but his second was even more sublime. The midfielder, who was not previously known for his long-range set pieces, blended power with precision as he bent effortlessly into the top corner from 25 yards to bamboozle Thibaut Courtois.

Watch here.

Rizky Ridho

  • Fixture: Persija Jakarta vs. Arema
  • Date: March 9, 2025

Journeying all the way to Indonesia for this year’s ninth nominee, Rizky Ridho’s stellar strike from just inside the opposition half is among the contenders for good reason. Catching the Arema goalkeeper off his line, Ridho lofted a lovely effort over the wandering stopper that snuck in just underneath the crossbar.

Watch here.

Kévin Rodrigues

  • Fixture: Kasımpaşa vs. Çaykur Rizespor
  • Date: Feb. 9, 2025

De la Vega and Kévin Rodrigues are contesting a battle of truly elite volleys, with no obvious winner. While the former’s came from a tight angle, the ball dropped from a lofty height before connecting with the Rodrigues’s left boot, the Portuguese full back looping a stunning effort into the top corner with enormous power.

Watch here.

Lamine Yamal

  • Fixture: Espanyol vs. Barcelona
  • Date: May 15, 2025

One might suggest that Lamine Yamal’s strike against Espanyol wasn’t even the Spaniard’s most beautiful effort of the year, but it was still a mighty fine strike. Cutting inside and bending into the top corner, the winger helped clinch the La Liga title for Barcelona with a delightful curler.

Watch here.

READ THE LATEST 2025 BEST FIFA FOOTBALL AWARDS NEWS

manual

Published |Modified
Ewan Ross-Murray
EWAN ROSS-MURRAY

Ewan Ross-Murray is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer who focuses primarily on the Premier League. Ewan was born in Leicester, but his heart, and club allegiance, belongs to Liverpool.

Home/Soccer