FIFA has named Santiago Montiel the winner of the 2025 Puskas Award, capping off a year in which football rarely lacked drama, spectacle, or surprises. The announcement added another twist to an awards season already defined by heated debates among supporters and pundits alike.
The honour arrives amid several major end-of-year recognitions. Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé recently lifted the Ballon d’Or, and FIFA’s The Best awards are set for mid-December. But the Puskas Award occupies a category of its own a celebration not of consistency or trophies, but of sheer, unforgettable brilliance.
A crowded and unpredictable field
FIFA evaluated 11 nominees this year, according to reporting from Reuters, the BBC and other outlets. Last season’s winner, Alejandro Garnacho, had claimed the 2024 award with his bicycle kick against Everton, a goal that instantly became part of highlight-reel lore.
Early predictions for 2025 focused on two high-profile contenders:
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- Lamine Yamal’s swerving, top-corner finish for Barcelona against Espanyol
- Declan Rice’s tight-angled free-kick for Arsenal in a Champions League clash with Real Madrid
Both goals were replayed endlessly online. If social media sentiment had decided the award, either Yamal or Rice might have been the favourite.
But the Puskas Award has always been notorious for bucking expectations. This year was no exception.
A strike born from chaos
According to FIFA’s match summary, Montiel’s winning goal came during an Argentine Primera División meeting between Independiente and Independiente Rivadavia a fixture that rarely captures global attention. Midway through the second half, a Rivadavia clearance fell loose outside the penalty area. The ball dropped awkwardly behind Montiel, still turning as he tracked its flight.
What happened next stunned the stadium.
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Montiel launched into a sudden, improvised overhead effort, striking the ball cleanly despite having no clear view of the goal. It sailed past the goalkeeper and into the far corner. The crowd hesitated then erupted. Moments later, teammates sprinted toward him in disbelief.
Unlikely? Absolutely. But as one Argentine commentator remarked on the broadcast, the goal “was the sort only football can invent and only once.”
Clips spread immediately, eventually drawing millions of views. By the time FIFA’s finalists were announced, the strike had already gained a reputation for its audacity and instinctive technique, two traits the Puskas Award has historically rewarded.
Ovalle claims the Marta Award
The women’s honour, the Marta Award, went to Mexico international Lizbeth Ovalle. According to AP reporting, she earned the accolade for an overhead finish while playing for Tigres in a league match against Guadalajara a goal that mirrored Montiel’s in its athleticism and surprise.
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Football fans appreciated an added narrative twist: the award’s namesake, Marta, now plays alongside Ovalle at Orlando Pride.
A fitting finale to a year of spectacle
If 2025 proved anything, it’s that football remains a sport defined not just by results but by moments of improvised brilliance the kind that replay endlessly in the minds of supporters. Montiel’s goal may not have been expected to prevail over higher-profile contenders, but its mixture of spontaneity, daring and technical difficulty made it difficult to deny.
In that sense, the award feels like a fitting closing note to the year’s highlight reel.
Sources: Reuters, BBC, AP, FIFA
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