Santiago Montiel has etched his name into football folklore after winning the 2025 FIFA Puskás Award for a breathtaking long-range bicycle kick scored for Independiente earlier this year.
Santiago Montiel, 25, was honoured at FIFA’s The Best awards ceremony held on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar. The Puskás Award recognises the most beautiful goal of the season and is decided through a blend of fan votes and selections from an expert panel.
Montiel’s winning strike came on May 11, 2025, during an Argentine Primera División clash against Independiente Rivadavia at the Estadio Libertadores de América. With the contest delicately poised at 0-0, a partially cleared corner dropped invitingly just outside the penalty area.
Reacting in an instant, Montiel flung himself into the air and unleashed an audacious overhead kick from more than 20 yards out. The ball flew into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper rooted to the spot and the home crowd in disbelief. The spectacular goal proved decisive, sealing a 1-0 win for Independiente.
Since then, the strike has been widely hailed as a “goal for the ages”, with fans and pundits alike drawing comparisons to some of the most iconic finishes ever witnessed in the game.
Montiel fended off stiff competition to claim the award, beating nominees that included Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice and Persija Jakarta defender Rizky Ridho.
In the women’s category, Mexican forward Lizbeth Ovalle was also celebrated after her remarkable scorpion kick was named the best women’s goal of the year.
The accolade continues a strong run for Argentina, marking a second successive Puskás Award win for the South American nation following Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho’s triumph in 2024.
The award which was named in honour of Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás, has been presented annually since 2009 to celebrate flair, imagination and technical brilliance in front of goal, regardless of league or level. Previous winners include Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Mohamed Salah.
