Lamine Yamal, nominated for the Puskás Award

Lamine Yamal, who recently made headlines for his withdrawal from the national team and the controversy generated after a minor intervention endorsed by a Belgian specialist and the club itself, adds another nomination to his growing list of accolades. On this occasion, the young talent is vying for the Puskás Award, an accolade that FIFA grants for the best goal of the year, thanks to the spectacular goal he scored against Espanyol in Cornellà.

A decisive goal on a key night

On May 15, 2025, Barça visited the RCDE Stadium with the opportunity to mathematically crown themselves champions of LaLiga. The match, tight and without a clear dominator, found an unexpected conclusion thanks to a masterful action. It was the 53rd minute, with the score still 0-0, when Lamine Yamal combined closely with Dani Olmo near the sideline. After receiving the ball again, the attacker sought a small space at the edge of the box to execute a soft and perfectly placed shot into the top corner. That goal, scored against what is now his teammate Joan Garcia, paved the way for the blaugrana team to secure the title that same day, later extended by Fermín López´s goal in stoppage time. With that victory, FC Barcelona claimed their second league title in three seasons, with the symbolic addition of having done it again on the field of one of their historic rivals.

The other contenders for the award

The Barça academy player will compete for the award with 10 other spectacular goals, among which stands out the second direct free-kick goal scored by Declan Rice against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. The other nominees are: Alerrandro, Ridho, Rodrigues, Ribeiro, Nasser, Deiola, De la Vega, Montiel, and Orrantía, all recognized for their impressive goals during the last football year.

A trophy that Messi could never lift

After winning the Golden Boy 2024 and the Kopa Trophy in 2024 and 2025, the current ´Ballon d´Or´ seeks to continue adding individual awards. Paradoxically, what many consider the best footballer of all time, Leo Messi, has never managed to obtain the Puskás Award, despite holding the record for nominations —seven in total— and having scored countless memorable goals in over twenty years of his career. For this reason, Lamine Yamal will have the opportunity to ”get revenge” in his name in this edition, achieving a trophy that eluded the Argentine star.