Santiago Montiel, a 25-year-old winger for Argentine Primera División side Independiente, has won the **2025 FIFA Puskás Award** for his stunning long-range bicycle-kick goal scored earlier this year.
The honour was announced at FIFA’s *The Best* ceremony held in Doha, Qatar, recognising the most visually spectacular goal of the season. The winner was decided through a blend of fan voting and expert panel assessment.
Montiel’s winning goal came on May 11, 2025, during a league match against Independiente Rivadavia at the Estadio Libertadores de América. With the game level at 0–0, a cleared corner dropped just outside the box, and Montiel responded with a daring overhead kick from more than 20 yards, firing the ball into the top corner.
The goal sealed a 1–0 victory for Independiente and has since been hailed as a “goal for the ages,” earning comparisons with some of football’s most iconic strikes.
Montiel beat off strong competition from nominees including Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, and Persija Jakarta defender Rizky Ridho.
In the women’s category, Mexican forward Lizbeth Ovalle received recognition for her spectacular scorpion-kick goal.
The win makes it two consecutive Puskás Awards for Argentina, following Alejandro Garnacho’s triumph in 2024. Named after Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás, the award has been presented annually since 2009 to celebrate exceptional creativity and skill in goal-scoring, regardless of league or level.
