Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal for Manchester United against Porto in 2009 travelled at an astonishing average speed of 103 kilometres per hour – a record for a FIFA Puskás Award winner that is in no danger of disappearing at The Best FIFA Football Awards™ on Monday. The thunderbolt is also the victor struck from the furthest distance out: 40 yards.

۶۴٫۳ per cent of the FIFA Puskás Award winners have been right-footers. Julio Enciso and Guilherme Madruga recorded their contenders with their right boots, while Nuno Santos’ rabona was scored his with his left, albeit to the right of his right foot!

Daniel Zsori was just 18 years old – and making his professional debut – when he scored the bicycle-kick which made him the youngest-ever FIFA Puskás Award recipient in 2019, outranking Neymar, who was 19. Julio Enciso, who will turn 20 later this month, is vying to become the third teenager to lift the trophy. Thirty-five-year-old Marcin Oleksy claimed it last year, smashing Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s record for the oldest-ever recipient for his iconic overhead kick for Sweden against England in 2012.

Son Heungmin took 12 uninterrupted touches to score against Burnley – a unparalleled total for a FIFA Puskás Award winner. Eight of the 13 victors have been netted with first touches. Guilherme Madruga and Nuno Santos scored their candidates with their first touch, while Julio Enciso took three touches with his.

Neymar, Wendell Lira, Mohamed Salah and Erik Lamela have ensured that an unparalleled four FIFA Puskás Award winners have been registered by a No11. Two were scored by No7s (Cristiano Ronaldo and Son Heungmin) and No10s (Zlatan Ibrahimovic and James Rodriguez) apiece, with no other shirt number having multiple winners. Nuno Santos could become the fifth No11 to pocket the prize, while Guilherme Madruga and Julio Enciso are hoping to become the first No8 and No20 respectively to triumph.

Ten successive FIFA Puskás Award-winning goals had helped their scorers’ sides to victory until Erik Lamela’s effort in Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat by Arsenal triumphed in 2021. The Argentinian was sent on for the injured Son Heungmin – the then Puskás holder – netted a gem and was then sent off for two bookings in seven minutes. The only other victor that didn’t help its scorer’s team to victory was Neymar’s in Santos’s 5-4 loss to Flamengo in 2011.

Lionel Messi has received an unequalled seven FIFA Puskás Award nominations, though the three-time runner-up has failed to win it. Neymar and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are next on the nomination chart, with five and four respectively. Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Hlompho Kekana, Nemanja Matic, Cristiano Ronaldo and Caroline Weir are the only other players with multiple nominations (two apiece).

Arsenal made six uninterrupted passes in the lead up to Olivier Giroud’s scorpion kick against Crystal Palace – a record for a FIFA Puskás Award conqueror. If would be shattered if Julio Enciso’s golazo grabs gold, with Brighton having put together 11 passes in its run-up. The Paraguayan had the ball in Manchester City’s net merely 12 seconds after goalkeeper Jason Steele had the ball inside the Seagulls’ penalty area.

Four FIFA Puskás Award winners have been scored in the English Premier League, with no other competition boasting more than one. Olivier Giroud, Mo Salah, Son Heungmin and Erik Lamela emerged triumphant within just five years. The South Korean and the Argentinian are responsible for Tottenham Hotspur being the only club to have produced multiple recipients. Cristiano Ronaldo also netted his 2009 victor for an English club, though it came in the UEFA Champions League.

Brazil is the only nation to have produced two FIFA Puskás Award winners: Neymar and Wendell Lira. Guilherme Madruga is bidding to hike that figure to three, while Nuno Santos could become Portugal’s second recipient after Cristiano Ronaldo.

Two of the 154 FIFA Puskás Award nominations have been rabonas. Erik Lamela won the prize in 2021, while Nuno Santos is aiming to repeat the feat.

Oscarine Masuluke is the only goalkeeper to have made the FIFA Puskás Award shortlist. The South African’s 11th-hour equaliser for Baroka against Orlando Pirates went on to finish runner-up to Olivier Giroud’s outrageous effort in 2017.