What Is Puskas Award? History, Criteria, Past Winners and Nominees For 2025

Over the decades, FIFA has come up with interesting ways of rewarding players with unique awards being created to help some footballers stand out from the rest. The Puskas award was created in 2009, and it was something that was unique and stood apart from the Ballon d'Or or FIFA's The Best awards. The Puskas Award history is littered with notable players being part of the Puskas Award Winner List, as we look at the key aspects of the Puskas Award before revealing the Puskas Award 2025 Nominees.

What Is The Puskas Award?

The FIFA Puskas award was established in 2009 by the football governing body, and it was named after iconic Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskas, who was a member of the dominant Real Madrid side that won five UEFA Champions League titles in a row in the 1950s. The purpose of the Puskas award was to reward players who scored the most aesthetically pleasing or ‘most beautiful’ goal in a season, be it in the domestic or international scene.

The special thing about the Puskas Award is that it doesn't discriminate, and players from all around the world, irrespective of the level or kind of leagues they're playing in, are eligible to potentially win it.

The Puskas Award history has seen some changes made to the award, which was decided on fan votes up until 2018, after which FIFA decided to allow pundits to choose the winner. The Puskas award has been exclusive for male footballers from 2024, after the FIFA Marta Award was formed as a separate category for the best goal scored by a female footballer.

List of Past Puskas Award Winners

The Puskas award history has seen several notable footballers win it in the past. The first Puskas award winner was, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 for his goal for Manchester United against FC Porto in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League. James Rodriguez won the FIFA Puskas Award in 2014 for his goal in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 against Uruguay as well. The most recent Puskas Award winner was Alejandro Garnacho in 2024, for his goal in Manchester United's win over Everton in the 2023/24 Premier League season.

Who Are The Puskas Award 2025 Nominees?

Now, we look at the Puskas Award 2025 Nominees. FIFA has chosen some amazing goals scored in the 2024/25 season to be in contention for this prestigious award. Here, we look at the Puskas Award 2025 Nominees.