Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are the big names on the 10-player short-list announced by FIFA on Monday for the Puskas award for goal of the year. It's a team of three women and five men, with formidable goals scored between July 16, 2018, and July 19, 2019. There are the names nominated from Bundesliga, Spanish Liga and women's World Cup and one, a jaw-dropping shot by Billie Simpson of Cliftonville Ladies, from a Northern Ireland women's league.
Messi’s name is doing the round who has yet to win the award, got the seventh nomination with a delicate chip for Barcelona against Betis in Seville. Ibrahimovic could net with a balletic volley for LA Galaxy in the famous Toronto in Major League Soccer. The award was established in 2009 and is named after legendary Hungary, Spain, and Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskas. Here, fans can vote till the 1st of September on the 10 candidates nominated by FIFA. The governing body of world football will then select between the top three vote-getters of the list.
And the two other women candidates are Ajara Nchout for a dribble and shot for Cameroon against New Zealand in the World Cup and Amy Rodriguez of Utah for a dribble and long-range shot in the US National Women's Soccer League.
The list of remaining five names is: Brazilian Matheus Cunha, of RB Leipzig, for a spin and chip against Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Italian dynamic Fabio Quagliarella for a back-heeled volley for Sampdoria against his previous club Napoli, Colombian Juan Fernando Quintero for a brilliant free-kick for River Plate against Argentine rivals Racing, Andros Townsend of Crystal Palace for a volley against Manchester City and Daniel Zsori for an overhead kick for Debrecen in most hyped the Hungarian league.
