Ferenc Puskas

Ferenc Puskas, also known as the “Galloping Major,” was a Hungarian soccer player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Born in Budapest in 1927, Puskas began his career playing for local teams before joining the Budapest Honved, where he won five Hungarian league titles and played a key role in the team’s run to the European Cup final in 1956.

Puskas was known for his incredible skill on the ball, as well as his powerful and accurate shooting ability. He scored an incredible 84 goals in just 85 appearances for the Hungarian national team and helped lead his country to a gold medal at the 1952 Olympics.

After leaving Hungary following the 1956 Soviet invasion, Puskas went on to play for Real Madrid, where he won three European Cups and five La Liga titles. He retired from playing in 1966 and went on to have a successful career as a manager.

The Puskas Award is an annual award given by FIFA to the player who scores the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing goal of the year. The award was established in 2009 and is named in honor of Ferenc Puskas. Over the years, the award has been won by some of the greatest players in the world, and there have been some truly incredible goals nominated for the award.

Here are some of the greatest goals ever nominated for the Puskas Award:

1. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace, 2017) – Giroud scored an incredible scorpion kick goal, flicking the ball behind him with his heel and sending it into the top corner of the net.
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden vs. England, 2012) – Ibrahimovic scored a stunning overhead kick from 30 yards out, lobbing the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.
3. James Rodriguez (Colombia vs. Uruguay, 2014) – Rodriguez scored an amazing volley from outside the box, sending the ball into the top corner of the net with a perfect technique.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid vs. Juventus, 2018) – Ronaldo scored a spectacular bicycle kick goal in the Champions League final, sending the ball into the top corner of the net with an incredible acrobatic effort.
5. Lionel Messi (Barcelona vs. Getafe, 2007) – Messi scored a goal that has been compared to Maradona’s “Goal of the Century,” dribbling past several defenders before slotting the ball into the net.

These are just a few examples of the amazing goals that have been nominated for the Puskas Award over the years.