The 2020 FIFA Puskas Award Nominees – Ranked

The 11-strong shortlist for the 2020 FIFA Puskas Award, handed out each year for the ‘most beautiful’ goal scored in the preceding 12 months, has been revealed.

It's always about the goal itself, with no weighting or bias applied to the level of competition or gender.

Ranked from 11th to 1st, here's a closer look at this year's nominees.

11. Shirley Cruz

Costa Rica vs Panama – CONCACAF Olympic qualifying

28 January 2020

Costa Rica legend Shirley Cruz showed poise and intelligent movement to score a thumping volley for country an Olympics qualifying game against Panama. The 35-year-old struck the ball so cleanly that it was unstoppable, hitting the back of the net with real force.

Watch it here.

10. Sophie Ingle

Arsenal vs Chelsea – Women’s Super League

19 January 2020

Chelsea defender Sophie Ingle guided her measured half-volley straight as an arrow into the top corner in her team’s comprehensive thrashing of WSL rivals Arsenal. The Wales international was winding up for the shot as the ball bounced her way and timed the contact perfectly.

Watch it here.

9. Zlatko Junuzovic

Rapid Vienna vs Red Bull Salzburg – Austrian Bundesliga

24 June 2020

Zlatko Junuzovic watched the ball all the way onto his foot when he cannoned a volley off the underside of the crossbar for Red Bull Salzburg against Rapid Vienna. It was a corner deliberately pulled to the deep edge of the penalty area and Junuzovic duly obliged.

Watch it here.

8. Jordan Flores

Shamrock Rovers vs Dundalk – League of Ireland

28 February 2020

The immense difficulty factor in Jordan Flores’ stunning volley for Dundalk in a League of Ireland match came in successfully keeping the ball down and getting his left-footed shot on target when he struck it at shoulder height without his standing foot leaving the ground.

Watch it here.

7. Hlompho Kekana

Mamelodi Sundowns vs Cape Town City – South African Premier League

20 August 2019

South African veteran Hlompho Kekana has probably never scored a better goal than the 35-yard screamer that ricocheted in off the post for Mamelodi Sundowns in August 2019. He would have sensed the drive was in from the moment it left his foot.

Watch it here.

6. Caroline Weir

Manchester City vs Manchester United – Women’s Super League

7 September 2019

It was a winning goal that more than lived up to the occasion, a record crowd in excess of 31,000 for a historic Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, when Manchester City midfielder Caroline Weir sent an unstoppable rocket into the top corner.

Watch it here.

5. Leonel Quinonez

Universidad Catolica vs Macara – Serie A (Ecuador)

19 August 2019

Leonel Quinonez scored from around 15 yards inside his own half in a Serie A match in Ecuador, spying the opposing goalkeeper off his line and taking full advantage. The opportunity was matched by his ability to pull it off and it might have been saved had it not been in the top corner.

Watch it here.

4. Son Heung-min

Tottenham vs Burnley – Premier League

7 December 2019

Opportunity, ingenuity, pace and power combined to give Son Heung-min an excellent solo effort in the Premier League last December. The Spurs star collected the ball at the edge of his own penalty area, before driving the length of the pitch, past every defender, to score.

Jan Vertonghen's assist was pretty decent, too.

Watch it here.

3. Andre-Pierre Gignac

Tigres vs Pumas – Liga MX

1 March 2020

Rather than take the ball down and control it when surrounded by three Pumas defenders, veteran French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac improvised to score a superb goal for Tigres in March. With his back to goal, he generated power to be beat the goalkeeper with the scissor action.

Watch it here.

2. Giorgian De Arrascaeta

Ceara vs Flamengo – Brasileirao

25 August 2019

Flamengo midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta narrowly missed the cut-off for last year’s Puskas Award with this overhead kick that turned a poor cross from a teammate into a stunning goal. The Uruguayan had to backtrack to meet the ball and couldn’t have scored any other way.

Watch it here.

1. Luis Suarez

Barcelona vs Real Mallorca – La Liga

7 December 2019

A one-touch Barcelona team goal in and around the penalty area was finished off with a sublime backheel by Luis Suarez for the best goal of the last 12 months. It was the originality and the unexpected that made it so special as most players would have controlled and tried to turn instead.

Watch it here.

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