2024 FIFA Puskas Award Nominees: Who is the Favorite To Win?

The accolade is handed to the player who is voted to have scored the best goal of the year, with football fans all over the world having been able to vote for it on the official FIFA website.
The nominations for this year’s award have already been released, with a strong pool of 11 candidates from across the men’s and women’s games having all been shortlisted.
There are some names that are known throughout the football world due to their profile or the clubs that they have played for. However, there are some names that will not be that familiar to football fans unless they have an encyclopedic knowledge of the sport or enjoy playing games like FIFA or Football Manager with every hour that they have.
The 11 to have been nominated are:
Alvaro Barreal - his goal for FC Cincinnati against Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Linda Caicedo - her goal against Germany for Colombia in the FIFA Women’s World Cu, which won Goal of the Tournament
Julio Enciso - his goal for Brighton against Manchester City
Seong-jin Kang - South Korea’s Under-20 star’s strike against Jordan Under-20s
Sam Kerr - For Australia women against England women
Brian Lozano - netted a wondergoal against Club America for Atlas FC
Guilherme Madruga - Botafogo midfielder scored a bicycle kick against Novorizontino in Brazil’s Serie B
Ivan Morante - playing for UD Ibiza, he scored a left-footed volley after chesting the ball down against Burgos in Segunda Division
Nuno Santos - executed a clever rabona for Sporting against Boavista
Askhat Tagybergen - Kazakhstan’s captain netted a stunning goal against Denmark in UEFA European qualification
Bia Zaneratto - the Brazilian star netted a well-worked team goal against Panama in the FIFA Women’s World Cup
According to the odds that are available on the 32red bet sportsbook, Julio Enciso’s strike is the current favorite to win the 2024 FIFA Puskas Award. The Paraguayan effort has been priced at odds of 17/20, giving him the edge with the bookmakers. Nuno Santos’ strike for Sporting is the next most likely to win with odds of 7/5, whereas Guilherme Madruga’s bicycle kick is offered at 5/2.
It is understandable that Enciso’s strike is the favorite to win, as it was a wonderbolt of a strike that took everyone by surprise. The attacker received the ball from around 25 yards out from goal, took a couple of touches to get it out of his feet, and then unleashed a rocket into the far corner that Manchester City’s Ederson was unable to get anywhere near. The goal was the first one he had scored at the AMEX Stadium, and it was an incredible way for him to do it.
Nuno Santos will feel that he is in the running for the accolade, as his goal was sublime, too. The Portuguese midfielder managed to escape the presence of four Boavista defenders whilst in the box by executing a clever rabona strike that would end up nestling into the corner of the net and leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
Last but not least, Guilherme Madruga will feel that he has a chance as he managed to score a sensational overhead bicycle kick for his team. Unfortunately for him, he plays in the Brazilian second division (Serie B), and not many will have seen it due to the competition's coverage. The midfielder managed to meet a headed clearance perfectly with an acrobatic approach and, in doing so, found the back of the net from outside the penalty box as the ball floated over the goalkeeper and just under the crossbar.
Given the quality of the goals that were scored over the last year, there is definitely going to be a worthy winner of this year’s FIFA Puskas Award. The winner will be named in London at the annual ceremony that will be held on January 15, 2024.