67 days to the World Cup: James Rodríguez and the World Cup's only Puskás Award winner

Yahoo Sports StaffSun, April 5, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC

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The FIFA Puskás Award is handed out each year to the player who scores the best goal in all levels of soccer.

Named in honor of Hungary and Real Madrid great Ferenc Puskás, FIFA created the award in 2009. In 2024, the FIFA Marta Award began to honor the best goal scored by a woman.

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There are four key points that make up the criteria for the Puskás Award:

“An aesthetically beautiful goal, awarded without distinction of championship, gender or nationality, scored without the result of luck or a mistake and in support of Fair Play.”

There are a number of household names that make up the 15 Puskás winners such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Son Heung-min, Neymar, Mohamed Salah, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Lionel Messi has been nominated seven times, but has yet to win.

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JUNE 28: James Rodrigues of Colombia in action during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil round of 16 match between Colombia and Uruguay at Maracana on June 28, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images)

Only four goals from the men’s World Cup have finished among the top-three and only one from the quadrennial tournament has ever won the award.

James Rodríguez had a World Cup to remember in 2014 as he helped Colombia reach the Round of 16. The No. 10 for Los Cafeteros won the tournament’s Golden Boot award with six goals, scoring in all five games.

One of those six goals came during a 2-0 win over Uruguay in the Round of 16. Rodríguez bagged a brace in the victory and also earned that’s year’s Puskás Award with a gorgeous volley.

Two weeks before Rodríguez’s wonderstrike, Robin van Persie looked to have put himself in the lead for the award. His diving header against Spain during the group stage was one of his four World Cup goals that summer.

Alas, it was not to be for the Dutch legend. Rodríguez earned 42% of the vote, while van Persie received just 11%.

Richarlison's bicycle kick for Brazil against Serbia in 2022 is the only World Cup goal since to have been voted a Puskás Award finalist.

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Source: “AOL Sports”