The FIFA Best Goal of the year (popularly known as the FIFA Puskas award) is an award that is annually given for the most beautiful or significant goal of a calendar year by world football’s governing body. The goal must be well-intended by the scorer (should not be a fluke or a deflection).
The award was named in honour of legendary Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskas, who starred in the 1950s/60s for both Real and the successful Hungarian national team of that era and highly regarded as one of the greatest players ever.
The FIFA Puskas award was inaugurated in 2009 with Cristiano Ronaldo being its first-ever winner. 18-year-old Daniel Zsori won the 2019 award ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andros Townsend and Fabio Quagliarella with a goal he scored on his professional debut!
Here, TOP SOCCER BLOG brings you 7 facts about the teenager.
1. Daniel Zsori was born on the 14th of October 2000 in Oradea, Romania.
2. At the age of 10, he started his career with Bekescsaba youth academy.
3. He joined Hungarian first division side Debrecen in September 2017.
4. In a match against league leaders Ferencvaros on the 16th of February 2019, Zsori came on for his professional debut few minutes towards the end of the game and scored the winning goal in the 93rd minute with an audacious overhead kick that will later earn him the FIFA Puskas award.
5. Zsori joined fellow Hungarian side Fehervar on the 1st of September 2019.
6. Born in Romania, the Hungarian is eligible to play for both countries (Romania and Hungary) at international level but has stated his preference to play for Hungary if given the option.
7. On the 23rd of September 2019, he won the FIFA Puskas award at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy.
Previous winners of the award are: Cristiano Ronaldo (2009), Hamit Altintop (2010), Neymar (2011), Miroslav Stoch (2012), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2013), James Rodriguez (2014), Wendell Lira (2015), Moh’d Faiz Subri (2016), Oliver Giroud (2017) and Mohammed Salah (2018).
With his age, Daniel Zsori has a long career ahead of him, but winning the FIFA Puskas award ahead of Lionel Messi —arguably the greatest player of all time — will definitely be a notable highlight for the rest of his life.
