Nahuel Molina Deserves a Puskas Award | OneFootball

The first time was so nice, Nahuel Molina had to do it twice.

The beautiful game has a long history of defenders who occasionally decide they are, in fact, world class ball beaters. There’s Roberto Carlos defying physics against France, or Benjamin Pavard and Nacho slicing through the air against Argentina and Portugal respectively in the 2018 World Cup.

Full backs are traditionally tasked with hugging the touchline, delivering crosses, and preventing wingers from ruining their team’s weekend. But every so often, a defender has a Hail Mary moment and decides to absolutely belt it.

This time that onus fell on Atlético Madrid’s Nahuel Molina. And not just once. He went and did it in back-to-back games. Surely a Puskas nomination cannot be too far away.

The Twin Goals

The 27 year-old Atlético Madrid and Argentina right back is already a World Cup and Copa América champion. He scored the crucial goal against Netherlands in the World Cup, latching onto a delightful Messi pass. But at club level, he had not scored in nearly two years before unleashing two back to back golazos.

Nahuel Molina Goal vs Getafe:

On March 14, 2026, Atlético Madrid hosted Getafe at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. The match was a typical gritty encounter. The two toughest-to-break-down managers in La Liga, Getafe’s José Bordalás and Atleti’s Diego Simeone, produced a defensive battle. Getafe had set up a wall that Atlético’s frontline struggled to break down. The game was locked in a tense stalemate.

Then Getafe defender Kiko Femenía misplaced a pass. Molina, for some reason, found himself on the left wing. He pounced, took one touch to control the bouncing ball, and from around 30 yards unleashed a dipping rocket into the top right corner. Goalkeeper David Soria had no chance.

The goal proved decisive in a 1-0 win and delivered three crucial points towards securing qualification for the Champions League. It was a shot that absolutely took the Getafe side by surprise and made the Metropolitano roar like no other.

For many strikers, that would be the best goal of their careers. For Nahuel Molina, it was just a warm up.

Nahuel Molina Goal vs Real Madrid:

Eight days later, Atlético Madrid traveled across the city to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. Coming on as a substitute in the 57th minute, Molina received a pass from Julián Álvarez on the right flank.

This time, from a position he actually should be in, he decided to try his luck again.

Real Madrid’s defense, perhaps underestimating his shooting range, gave him a fraction of space. Without hesitation, Molina struck a powerful shot from 25 to 30 yards that flew into the far top corner, leaving Andriy Lunin rooted.

It was the mirror image of his strike from one week ago, except for the position from which he took the shot from.

The goal made it 2-2 in a thrilling derby that Atlético eventually lost 3-2 after a Vinícius Júnior reply.

Has Nahuel Molina Been Hiding This?

These back-to-back screamers feel surprising because they don’t go along with Molina’s established reputation.

Born on April 6, 1998, in Embalse, Córdoba, he came through Boca Juniors before spells at Defensa y Justicia and Rosario Central. A move to Udinese in 2020 marked his European breakthrough, where he scored nine goals in 64 appearances.

Atlético Madrid signed him for around $22 million in July 2022. Since then, he has been a key player under Diego Simeone, making over 170 appearances.

Before March 2026, goals were rare for him. He had scored only a handful in La Liga, mostly from close range or set pieces. The right back had not scored in nearly two years.

Perhaps it’s the early indicators of an already emerging trend highlighting the fascinating evolution of the full-back role in modern football. Under Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid frequently operates in a system that relies heavily on wing-backs/full-backs providing width and attacking thrust. With players like Julián Álvarez pulling defenders out of position, space opens up in wide areas.

Whether these are just lucky coincidences (hard to say that) or Molina truly has a rocket of a right foot that he has never revealed before, one thing is clear. Nahuel Molina has a strike in him.

The Puskas Claim

The FIFA Puskás Award is an annual prize handed out to the scorer of the most aesthetically significant or most beautiful goal of the calendar year. Overhead kicks, outrageous set pieces, and long range efforts – like Molina’s – usually end up winning the prize. It is judged on several criteria, including style, the importance of the match, the absence of luck, and fair play. Molina’s strikes against Getafe and Real Madrid ticks every single box.

It’s unheard of to get nominated twice in a single year. So only one of his goals would actually be in contention when the nominees are announced. I personally feel the goal at the Bernabéu should be the one. It showed that the first strike against Getafe wasn’t just luck, and that he can do it again whenever he wants to. The importance of the goal is also something that should be considered. The goal being the one that briefly equalized the Madrid derby, one of the most coveted games in Spain. And also the fact that it was scored at the home of Atlético Madrid’s eternal rivals which completely silenced the 80,000+ crowd.

Whether Nahuel Molina wins the Puskás Award or not, his name is already part of the season’s highlight reel. A La Liga Goal of the Season award is, at the minimum, well within reach.

Come what may from now to the end of the season, it’s a given that defenders will not give Molina any more free space when they see him charging up the pitch with the ball.