DOHA, Qatar – In a glittering ceremony held on the sidelines of the Intercontinental Cup game between Paris Saint-Germain and Flamengo, FIFA celebrated the most breathtaking goals of the past year, awarding the prestigious Marta Award and Puskas Award to Lizbeth Ovalle and Santiago Montiel, respectively. The awards, which recognize the best goals scored in women's and men's football between August 11, 2024, and August 2, 2025, saw fans around the globe casting their votes for the most exceptional strikes.
Lizbeth Ovalle, the Mexican star currently playing for Orlando Pride, took home the Marta Award for her stunning scorpion kick while playing for Tigres against Guadalajara in the Liga MX Femenil. The goal, which has been dubbed the "Camaroncín" by fans, saw Ovalle contort her body to meet a cross from Jennifer Hermoso with an audacious backheel volley that nestled perfectly into the top corner of the net. "Al ver tantos goles increíbles, incluido uno de Marta, con quien tengo el orgullo de compartir equipo, sentí una emoción enorme. Cualquiera de esos golazos podía ganar, y que el mío haya sido elegido me llena de orgullo", Ovalle said. This marks the first time a goal from the Liga MX Femenil has been nominated and won the award, underscoring the growing prominence of women's football in Mexico. The Marta Award was created in 2024 to honor female players with a separate prize for the best goal. The prize is named after Brazil great Marta, who won the inaugural prize for a goal scored against Jamaica in 2024.
Santiago Montiel, who plays for Independiente, received the Puskas Award for his gravity-defying overhead kick against Independiente Rivadavia in the Argentine Primera Division. Rising to meet a bouncing ball about 22 meters from goal, Montiel launched himself into the air, connecting with a spectacular bicycle kick that soared into the top corner. Montiel's goal topped a shortlist that included Alessandro Deiola, Lamine Yamal, and Declan Rice. Montiel is the cousin of Gonzalo Montiel, the River Plate full-back who scored the decisive penalty in Argentina's shootout win over France in the 2022 World Cup final.
The FIFA Best Awards ceremony also recognized other outstanding achievements in football. Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain was named The Best Men's Player, while Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona won the women's award for the third consecutive year. Sarina Wiegman won the best women's coach award for the fifth time after leading England to retain their European Championship title, and Luis Enrique won the men's coach award after taking Paris St Germain to their first Champions League win. Hannah Hampton of England and Chelsea won best women's goalkeeper, while Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy and Manchester City won best men's keeper. The FIFA Fan Award went to the fans of Zakho SC of Iraq.
