IT’S THAT TIME of the year again – when Fifa’s band of experts all get together and decide the best goal from the last 12 months.
The likes of Diego Maradona, Cafu, Hidetoshi Nakata, Enzo Francescoli, Jay-Jay Okacha and Carlos Valderrama were responsible for shortlisting their 10 favourite strikes and the winner – voted for by the public – will claim the Puskas Award at the Fifa Football Awards in London next month.
There are a couple of familiar moments included – like Olivier Giroud’s sublime flick for Arsenal against Crystal Palace and Nemanja Matic’s stunner for Chelsea in their FA Cup semi-final with Tottenham.
Also, for the purists, Celtic’s magnificent team goal that resulted in Moussa Dembele finishing to the net against St. Johnstone also makes the cut.
Do you agree with the panel’s choices? And, more importantly, what’s your top pick?
Kevin-Prince Boateng (Las Palmas v Villarreal – 23/10/2016)
Alejandro Camargo (Universidad de Conception v O’Higgins FC – 04/12/2016)
Deyna Castellanos (Venezuela U-17 v Cameroon – 24/10/2016)
Moussa Dembele (Celtic FC v St Johnstone – 05/02/2017)
3) How about this team goal from Celtic, finished off by Moussa Dembele against St Johnstone? #PuskasAward pic.twitter.com/RMXO1mcDpS
— Sportsbet.io (@sportsbet_io) September 22, 2017
Olivier Giroud (Arsenal v Crystal Palace – 01/01/2017)
Olivier Giroud vs Crystal Palace#AFC pic.twitter.com/eNZFoyujv4
— Arsenal Goals (@Arsenal_Goals) July 26, 2017
Aviles Hurtado (Tijuana Xolos v Atlas – 01/04/2017)
Mario Mandzukic (Juventus v Real Madrid – 03/06/2017)
5) Mario Mandzukic's #UCLFinal goal for Juventus against Real Madrid makes the #Puskas #PuskasAward shortlist pic.twitter.com/cUBSxWdkMQ
— Sportsbet.io (@sportsbet_io) September 22, 2017
Oscarine Masuluke (Baroka FC v Orlando Pirates – 30/11/2016)
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur – 23/04/2017)
7) This screamer from Nemanja Matic for Chelsea against rivals Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-final makes the list pic.twitter.com/9YOeTwSzO3
— Sportsbet.io (@sportsbet_io) September 22, 2017
Jordi Mboula (FC Barcelona Youth v Borussia Dortmund – 22/02/2017)
And, if you’ve forgotten the goal that won the award in 2016, here it is: an inexplicable free-kick from Mohd Faiz Subri in the Malaysian Super League.
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