'Are you kidding?' Fans erupt over Salah's goal of the year award
Football fans are blowing up after Liverpool star Mohamed Salah won the FIFA Puskas Award for the goal of the season.
The 26-year-old’s strike in last season’s Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield was awarded the prestigious award. (Watch the goal in the video at the top of the page.)
The Egyptian star’s effort, which saw him spin past two Everton players before curling a left-foot shot into the far corner, gained 38 per cent of the more than 500,000 votes cast.
Despite the award being based on a fan vote, thousands still took to social media to complain, especially given the quality of some of the competition, including the wonder strike of Newcastle Jets star Riley McGree.
How has Salah won Puskas when Gareth Bale literally scored one of the best goals of ALL TIME in the BIGGEST moment in club football when drawing….???? pic.twitter.com/F6zEqc1VsS
— Tass (@FaZeTass) September 24, 2018
Disappointed this was the goal of the year pic.twitter.com/6cTUO7CbHE
— Wisani Dele (@Wisani29089792) September 24, 2018
You mean to tell me Salah's goal against Everton is better than this beauty?
LOOOOOOOOOOOOL pic.twitter.com/Yz2wBr1hDK
— Eghe (@Levi4dCulture) September 24, 2018
Salah has won the Puskas award for 2018, for his goal against Everton.
Ahead of this goal! Are you kidding me??!?! #TheBest pic.twitter.com/7yziuQVTmA
— Victor (@Football303) September 24, 2018
Salah's goal won Ronaldo, Bale and Pavard's as in how how how?
— #Sir_PopuL4R (@Popul_Wiz) September 24, 2018
Every Puskas goal since 2009.
Still trying to work out how Salah won it this year pic.twitter.com/P6YSULS1F3
— Utd! (@HQManUtd) September 24, 2018
How stupid are the #FifaFootballAwards? Salah wins the Puskas and that goal probably wasn’t even in the top 100 scored, Courtois wins best keeper, who is then beaten by De Gea (who didn’t make a single save in the World Cup) into the ‘best XI’.
— The Hotspur Insider (@HotspurInsider) September 24, 2018
Ten goals were shortlisted for the award, with many pundits predicting a win for Gareth Bale’s acrobatic volley in the Champions League final for Real Madrid against Liverpool.
The award, which is named after Hungary and Real Madrid great Ferenc Puskas, was the first announced at the Best FIFA Football Awards in London.
Even some of Salah’s teammates couldn’t believe the decision, with James Milner cracking a joke on Twitter.
Congrats @MoSalah on your 7th best goal from last season winning goal of the year 😜 #Baller#Topbin#oneofmanyworldies https://t.co/OkNMlIsNLb
— James Milner (@JamesMilner) September 24, 2018
The Egypt forward netted a remarkable 44 goals across all competitions in 2017-18, but Liverpool team-mate Milner was quick to point out that the strike in the Merseyside derby was perhaps not Salah’s finest of the campaign.
“Congrats Mohamed Salah on your seventh best goal from last season winning goal of the year #baller #topbin #oneofmanyworldies,” Milner tweeted.
While scooping one gong, Salah missed out on the Best Player award, which went to Real Madrid’s Luka Modric.
The Egyptian was also not included in the FIFPro World XI, with the likes of Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Eden Hazard and Lionel Messi being named to the squad instead.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois won the goalkeeper of the year prize, beating Leicester’s Kasper Schmeichel and Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur and World Cup-winning France.
All three enjoyed great World Cup campaigns, with Courtois helping Belgium to a third-place finish.
Now with Real Madrid, the 26-year-old Courtois joked before his award was announced that FIFA should also hand out a save-of-the-year prize.
With AAP and Perform
