Arab Stars Chase the Global Goal: Who Makes the Puskás Award Shortlist?
13 November 2025
Arab Nominee Makes the Cut
FIFA today announced the contenders for the Puskás Award, honoring the year's best goal in men’s football. Eleven strikes were shortlisted for the prize, covering performances from August 11, 2024 to August 2, 2025, with the winner to be unveiled at the Best FIFA Awards ceremony.
Among the nominees are global stars spanning La Liga and the Premier League, including Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Declan Rice of Arsenal. The sole Arab candidate on the official list is Amr Nasser of Zamalek, who struck for his former club Pharco against Al Ahly in the Egypt Cup/League context on April 17, staged at the Cairo stadium. Nasser's strike delivered a late lead for his side, a bright moment that earned him a place on the shortlist.
Other named goals span iconic showpieces: Yamal's sublime Barcelona strike against Espanyol, and Rice's famous goal for Arsenal against Real Madrid in the Champions League in April.
Past, Present, and the Arab Trail
The Puskás Award was launched in 2009 by FIFA to celebrate the year's most beautiful goal, named after Ferenc Puskás, a Hungarian legend who scored 806 goals in 793 matches. The selection combines public voting and input from the FIFA Legends panel. Lionel Messi has a record seven nominations but has yet to win; Mohamed Salah became the first Arab to be nominated and the first Arab to win the award, for a goal against Everton in 2018.
Arab players who have shone on the shortlist include Riyad Mahrez, Yacine Benzia, and Hassan Al-Haydos, among others. The article notes that no Arab player has been nominated twice in a single year, though multiple Arab players have pursued glory across different seasons. Brazil is the country with the most winners, via several clubs and players across years.
In conclusion, Arabs continue to make an impact on the global stage, and the Puskás shortlist highlights their skills within a broader tradition of spectacular goals worldwide.
Two light-hearted punchlines:
Even the ball has commitment issues—every time it sees a net, it tries to ghost into the corner.
If goals could wink, this list would have the crowd roaring.
