Zlatan Ibrahimovic has won the 2013 FIFA
Puskás Award, with his audacious
overhead kick against England voted by
FIFA.com and francefootball.fr users as
the pick of an outstanding shortlist.
The Swede’s incredible strike was one of
several spectacular moments produced for
club and country over recent seasons, and
rounded off his hat-trick in a 4-2 friendly
win in Stockholm. Even by Ibrahimovic’s
standards, the scissors kick he sent
flashing into the net from 30 yards,
adjusting to meet a clearing header by Joe
Hart, was something truly extraordinary.
Few would have even attempted it, far
less executed it to perfection, with the
ball sent the ball looping beyond the
despairing English defenders.
Steven Gerrard, England’s captain on the
night, described it as "the best goal I've
ever seen", and that admiration was
shared by you, the FIFA.com and
francefootball.fr users. You voted for
Ibra’s strike in your thousands, enabling
him to take this coveted prize ahead of
Nemanja Matic and Neymar, who had also
qualified for the final shortlist.
Matic took second place, with plenty of
voters enamoured with his brilliantly
struck left-foot volley at the end of an
intricately crafted Benfica set piece. And
the final place on the Puskás podium went
to Neymar for the top-corner finish
against Japan that set the tone for the
Brazil star’s magnificent FIFA
Confederations Cup.
There could only be one winner though,
and Ibrahimovic becomes the latest
person to lift an award previously
collected by Miroslav Stoch (2012),
Neymar (2011), Hamit Altintop (2010) and
Cristiano Ronaldo (2009).
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