Ranking the 2018 FIFA Puskas Award nominees

Earlier this week FIFA revealed the nominees for the 2018 Puskas Award. The award is given to the player who scored the best goal of the year, and there are some excellent goals among the nominees.

Olivier Giroud is the most recent winner of the award, emerging victorious in 2017 for his brilliant scorpion kick against Crystal Palace while he was at Arsenal. Previous winners of the award also include James Rodriguez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Neymar.

The Puskas Award wasn’t the only one under discussion, with FIFA also announcing the nominees for the Best Men’s Player. They are Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah. This means that Lionel Messi misses out on a place in the final three for the first time since 2006. To put into perspective how long ago that was, the top three that year were Fabio Cannavaro, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldinho.

As for the Puskas Award, the nominations are dominated goals scored at the World Cup, with four of the ten goals coming in Russia. Of the players nominated, Ronaldo is the only man to have won the award previously. He took home the inaugural award in 2009 for his stunning strike against Porto, while playing for Manchester United in the Champions League.

Here are the ten nominees from this year’s award, ranked from worst, to best.

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#10 Mohamed Salah v Everton

Salah scored 32 goals in the Premier League last season

Salah’s goal in the Merseyside Derby was actually scored in 2017, but came too late to be up for the award in that year. It was one of a shedload of excellent goals scored by Salah in the 2017/18 season, and given that it was against Everton, one of the more important ones to Liverpool fans. It was an excellent strike, beating Cuco Martina and Idrissa Gueye before curling into the far top corner.

However, this might not have actually been the best goal he scored last season, as he netted quite brilliantly in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Roma. Therefore, it comes in tenth in this list.

#9 Denis Cheryshev v Croatia

Cheryshev netted four times at the World Cup

Hosts Russia were the surprise package at the World Cup this summer. Many expected them to struggle, and even the press in the country described the team as one of the weakest at the tournament. Instead, they shocked us all, and reached the quarter-finals, knocking out Spain along the way. Denis Cheryshev was the star, netting four times, including two brilliant strikes.

The best of which came against Croatia in the quarter-finals. Cheryshev picked the ball up deep and drove at the Croatian midfield. He played a clever one-two with Artem Dzyuba, left behind Luka Modric, and smashed a shot past Danijel Subasic. Sadly, his side went on to lose the game, but it was still a memorable strike.

#8 Lionel Messi v Nigeria

It was Messi's only goal of the World Cup

There is no denying that it was a terrible World Cup for Argentina. It was probably the weakest side that the country has sent to a World Cup. They drew their opening game with Iceland, and then were soundly beaten by Croatia, leaving them on the brink of disqualification. They needed to beat Nigeria in their final group game, and got off to the perfect start thanks to Messi.

The Barcelona forward bought down Ever Banega’s drilled pass brilliantly on his thigh, before taking another touch to get himself into a shooting position, and then firing into the far corner. Argentina went on to win the game 2-1, but were knocked out by France in the round of 16.

#7 Ricardo Quaresma v Iran

Quaresma made an impact in his only World Cup start

Ricardo Quaresma is a man who seems to have made a career out of scoring brilliant goals with the outside of his right foot. The game against Iran was the only one that Quaresma started at the World Cup, and he certainly made his mark. Portugal knew that a point would be enough for them to secure a place in the round of 16, and a win would go a long way to helping them top the group.

Quaresma set them on their way, exchanging passes with Adrien Silva before coming inside, and curling in a brilliant equaliser with the outside of his foot. Portugal were denied the win by a controversial late VAR call, and after missing out on top spot in the group, were dumped out of the tournament by Uruguay at the round of 16.

#6 Lazaros Christodoulopoulos v Olympiacos

The Greece international moved to Olympiacos this summer

Every year, there are one or two players who appear on the lift of nominations for the Puskas Award that we are less familiar with. This year that name is Christodoulopoulos, whose goal is another one that came in 2017, but was too late to be among the nominations for last year’s award. His goal was one of two he scored on the day for AEK Athens, as his side came from 2-0 down to beat Olympiacos.

It’s the only goal on this list scored from a direct free kick, with Christodoulopoulos hitting a wicked strike from 30 yards, that moved in the air, and nestled into the top corner. Ironically, he is no longer with AEK Athens, having moved to Olympiacos, the team he scored this goal against.

#5 Giorgian De Arrascaeta v America-MG

De Arrascaeta is in his fourth season with Cruzeiro

De Arrascaeta’s is another name that won’t be too familiar to many, but he has appeared on a number of occasions for Uruguay in recent years. This is also the only goal on the list that was scored in South America, with the other ones being scored in Europe and Oceania. De Arrascaeta scored the goal playing for Cruzeiro in the Brazilian Campeonato Mineiro against America-MG.

De Arrascaeta got on the end of a cross from right back Edilson, and found the top corner with a brilliant volley. The Uruguayan showed terrific athletic ability to find the net, with his body almost horizontal when he connected with the ball.

#4 Benjamin Pavard v Argentina

It was Pavard's first international goal

Not many people would have expected to see the name of Benjamin Pavard on this list. The Frenchman does his best work defensively, and this was the case for all of last season at club level with Stuttgart, and for much of the World Cup where he helped his side to their second world title. In fact, the goal he scored against Argentina was the only one that he has scored so far in 2018, and his first for his country.

France found themselves 2-1 down in their round of 16 match against the Argentines when Lucas Hernandez overhit a cross in the direction of Pavard, who adjusted his body perfectly to hit a sensational strike into the top corner from just outside the area. He controlled his volley perfectly, with the ball starting outside of the post, and curving beyond Franco Armani into the net. The goal bought France level, and they went on to win 4-3.

#3 Cristiano Ronaldo v Juventus

Juventus were once again on the end of a bit of Ronaldo brilliance

Everyone knew that Ronaldo’s name was going to pop up on this list at some point, and it is with a goal against his new side, Juventus. The Portuguese superstar has tormented Juventus over the years, but he may never have scored a better goal than the one he put past them in April. It was a goal so good that he got a standing ovation from the opposition fans, not just his own.

With his side already 1-0 up away at Juve in their first leg of their Champions League tie, Dani Carvajal hung a ball up to the far post, behind Ronaldo, who leapt, and turned in mid-air to smash home a brilliant overhead kick. It was one of the great Champions League goals, and helped lead Real Madrid to another Champions League final, and their third straight title.

#2 Riley McGree v Melbourne City

McGree's goal was certainly a unique effort

This is yet another name that you may not have heard before, and the likelihood is, you won’t hear it too much in the future either. McGree’s quite remarkable strike against Melbourne City was one of only two goals that he has scored in his club career, and he may never score a better one. In the A-League semi-finals in April, his Newcastle Jets side found themselves a goal down, and equalised through McGree’s brilliant scorpion kick.

At first, it looked it could have been a freak goal, but replays showed that he knew exactly what he was doing, and achieved it in chipping Dean Bouzanis in the Melbourne goal. McGree is yet another man who has gone on to sign for the team he scored his goal against, having joined Melbourne City on loan for next season.

#1 Gareth Bale v Liverpool

Bale's goal came on the biggest stage of the lot

Sometimes a goal is even better because of the timing of it, and you won’t see many goals in a final that are better than Bale’s effort against Liverpool. It had been a difficult season for Bale at Real Madrid, as he had fallen down in the pecking order, and was no longer a key player in Zinedine Zidane’s side. Bale came off the bench with the score at 1-1, and made his mark.

Marcelo’s cross into the area was behind Bale, but he managed to leap high enough to hit a sensational overhead kick up and over Loris Karius and into the net. He added a third late on to secure victory courtesy of a shocking error from Karius, and at the same time wrap up Real’s third consecutive Champions League triumph. Bale is now a key man in the Real team, after the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus.