A definitive list of 2026’s Puskas Award contenders ft. Solanke, Dembele, INSANE Serie A strike… | OneFootball

Last year, Independiente winger Santiago Montiel won FIFA’s Puskas Award for the best goal of the year, beating the likes of Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to the prestigious prize.

It’s still early days for the 2026 award, but who are the contenders so far? We’ve done some digging and put together a shortlist of every goal worthy of being nominated later this year.

Here’s every contender for the 2026 Puskas Award. Think we’ve missed one? Let us know @planetfutebol, and keep checking back as we’ll be keeping this updated.

Michael Folorunsho

Puskas Award contenders should take your breath away, an example of something extraordinary you seldom ever see, and this is certainly that.

It’s not often, but you do get the odd goal scored from this impossible position. Almost all of those are mishit crosses that catch out a poor, stranded goalkeeper.

Watch this one twice. Look at Folorunsho’s body shape. This is unquestionably a shot. An absolutely brilliant strike.

Luka Stojkovic

This one might drop out of the running by the time the shortlist gets compiled in the Autumn, but it’s an early contender.

The skip inside is nice. The shot is beautiful. Absolutely perfect.

Rafa Silva

*Rabona Goal Klaxon*

A lovely bit of improvisation.

Dominic Solanke

One of those great goals that’s made 10 times better by viewing it in slo-mo.

Bonus points for it beating the 6’5″ frame of Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Anton Stach

This genuinely isn’t far off the Declan Rice effort that was shortlisted last season.

Not the same stage or the same stakes, admittedly, but purely as a goal it’s out of this world. Only an insane effort would’ve beaten Emiliano Martinez from there, and he somehow pulls it off.

Ousmane Dembele

Cristiano Ronaldo is the only man who can boast both the Ballon d’Or and Puskas Award.

This probably won’t be quite enough for Dembele to become the second, but it’s worthy of a place on the shortlist at the very least. Poetry in motion.