FIFA PUSKÁS AWARD
Who are the three finalists for the 2022 FIFA Puskás Award?
Once more, the time to pick this year’s best goal is upon us, and there have been some great ones this time.
The year’s best goals have been seen and analyzed, and now we have the top three to pick from. Names like Kylian Mbappe and Mario Balotelli didn’t make the cut. In the end, the Brazilian Richarlison, Pole Marcin Oleksy, and Frenchman Dimitri Payet will compete for the Puskás award at The Best FIFA Football Awards.
Who are the three finalists for the Puskás award?
Marcin Oleksy’s: His nomination is a breath of fresh air because it is not your typical famous player who scored a screamer. The Polish amputee player scored an amazing acrobatic goal that resembles the best.
On his goal, the Pole said, “My teammate Dawid played the pass. When I saw him approaching the ball, I knew it was coming to me. I connected really cleanly. It was pure. When I hit it, I was following the ball all the way with my eyes and I saw it go into the corner of the net. I always wanted to score a beautiful goal. You could see how proud it made me after I scored. I stood up tall, I put my chest out. I was just so, so happy.”
Richarlison: The Brazilian’s goal is probably the most popular of the three. It already won the best goal of the Qatar World Cup. The goal is a beautiful overhead kick, in an also acrobatic way.
For the Tottenham player, it is nothing new: “It was a really beautiful goal. I had scored one like that previously for Fluminense and a similar one for Everton. I had the chance to score a scissor-kick goal again and I think it was one of the most beautiful goals in my career, because it was in the World Cup and in a game that was difficult for us.”
Dimitri Payet: Payet is no stranger to these kinds of awards. The Frenchman’s goal is typical of his playbook. A screamer from outside the box that flew high into the net, reminding us all of both his power and precision.
“I took the shot in a casual manner, as if it was during training. I think this sense of relaxation made the movement fluid. I couldn’t have hit it better. It bounced first and it sat up perfectly for a left-footed shot. It was a difficult move but I did it without pressure and I think I scored because I was relaxed when I took the shot. I enjoyed it because it’s a goal that people will remember and it’s a goal that mattered.”