Guilherme Madruga Wins FIFA Puskas Award for This Incredible Goal | WATCH

Brazilian midfielder Guilherme Madruga won the FIFA Puskas Award 2023 for his astonishing overhead kick. The acrobatic effort from the then-Botafogo-SP star came out on top in the voting ahead of an audacious rabona from Sporting’s Nuno Santos and Brighton teenager Julio Enciso’s long-range thunderbolt.

The the FIFA Puskas Award recognises the most spectacular goal in men’s and women’s football across the qualification period for the prize, which was between 19 December 2022 and 20 August 2023. The award is named in honour of legendary Hungarian forward Ferenc Puskás, who was famed for his stunning collection of individual strikes.

The Puskas Award winner was voted for by fans across the world and expert panelists.

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Madruga is hardly a prolific scorer, with the defensive midfielder’s winning goal in the Brasiliero Serie B encounter against Novorizontino the only time he found the net in the qualifying period for the award. With his back to goal and defenders close by as the ball bounced in front of him, Madruga executed a superb overhead kick from outside the area, which dipped just under the crossbar.

“After the game I watched the video of the goal again and only then did I realise what I’d done. My brother and I looked at each other and I said, ‘Bro, did I do that?’,” Madruga said after winning.

How the FIFA Puskás Award winner was determined

From an initial 11-goal shortlist, the two voting groups – fans and expert panellists – voted for their first, second and third choices for the prize.

Points were given to nominees depending on where they were placed (five points for first, three for second and one for third).

Selections from the two voting groups each counted for 50 per cent of the total vote, irrespective of the number of voters from each group.

The Puskas Award was presented to the individual with the most points.

The voting procedure for the Puskás Award was supervised by independent observers.