The FIFA Puskas Award 2023 winner was Brazilian midfielder Guilherme Madruga, who claimed the prestigious title for a sensational long-range overhead kick scored while playing for Botafogo-SP. Announced at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony on January 15, 2024, Madruga's acrobatic masterpiece captured global attention and beat out elite competition from across the world.
Understanding how this incredible moment unfolded requires looking past the basic headline. This breakdown explores the winning goal, the match context, the final shortlist nominees, and the history of football's most famous goal-of-the-year prize.
The Winning Goal: Guilherme Madruga's Overhead Masterpiece
The moment that secured the FIFA Puskas Award 2023 winner trophy took place on June 27, 2023, during a Brazilian Série B match between Novorizontino and Botafogo-SP.
Guilherme Madruga found himself battling for position outside the penalty area after a clearance from the opposing defense. Rather than settling the ball or recycling possession, the defensive midfielder improvised with astonishing athleticism. He launched his body backward into the air, executing a fierce bicycle kick from outside the box that sailed over a crowded penalty area and dipped precisely under the crossbar, leaving the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.
What made the strike even more remarkable was its personal significance for the player. It was Madruga's first-ever professional goal for Botafogo-SP. In post-match interviews, the midfielder admitted he didn't fully comprehend the technical brilliance of what he had achieved until he watched the replay alongside his brother, famously asking, "Bro, did I do that?"
The 2023 Final Shortlist and Nominees
To claim the trophy, Madruga had to overcome a fierce initial pool of eleven shortlisted goals submitted from leagues across the globe. Fan voting and an expert panel eventually whittled the contenders down to a final three. The other two finalists pushing Madruga for the top prize included:
- Julio Enciso (Brighton & Hove Albion): The young Paraguayan forward scored a stunning, thunderous long-range strike against Manchester City in the English Premier League in May 2023. Striking the ball from roughly 25 yards out, Enciso left Premier League goalkeeper Ederson with no chance.
- Nuno Santos (Sporting CP): The Portuguese winger scored an audacious left-footed rabona goal against Boavista in the Primeira Liga in March 2023, wrapping his leg behind his standing foot to steer the ball into the corner of the net.
Despite the brilliance of both the Premier League and Primeira Liga contenders, voters heavily favored Madruga's combination of distance, technical difficulty, and sheer audacity from a defensive midfielder.
History and Criteria of the FIFA Puskas Award
Established on October 20, 2009, by FIFA, the Puskas Award honors the memory of Ferenc Puskas, the legendary captain and star of the Hungarian national team during the 1950s. The award is presented annually to the player judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant, most beautiful goal of the calendar year.
Key Criteria for Nomination
- Beauty: The goal must be a subjective work of art, factoring in criteria like distance, team play, individual skill, and acrobatic difficulty.
- Importance: While goals in major tournaments or crucial matches often get highlighted, goals from any official tier of professional football worldwide are eligible.
- Fair Play: The goal must not be the result of a foul, offside, or clear handball infraction.
Madruga joined an exclusive club of past winners, following in the footsteps of global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mohamed Salah, and Son Heung-min. Notably, Madruga's victory also marked a proud moment for Brazilian football, cementing the country's legacy for producing creative and technically gifted players across all tiers of the sport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team was Guilherme Madruga playing for when he scored the Puskas-winning goal?
Madruga scored the goal while playing as a defensive midfielder for Botafogo-SP (Botafogo Futebol Clube of São Paulo) in the Brazilian Série B.
When was the 2023 Puskas Award winner announced?
The winner was officially revealed on January 15, 2024, during The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony held in London.
How are Puskas Award winners chosen?
The process begins with an initial list of 11 goals compiled by FIFA experts. A public fan vote on FIFA's official website is combined with votes from a panel of football experts to determine the three finalists, with the ultimate winner decided by those combined voting percentages.
Did Guilherme Madruga's goal happen in the top tier of Brazilian football?
No, the goal was scored in Série B, which is the second tier of the Brazilian national football league system, during a match against Novorizontino.
