Penang footballer Faiz Subri wins Puskas Award

PETALING JAYA: Faiz Subri is the runaway winner of the 2016 FIFA Puskas Award for his physics-defying goal in a league match last year.

The 29-year-old Penang footballer garnered nearly 60% of the votes.
Faiz received the award during the FIFA Football Awards 2016 in Zurich on Monday.

His goal received more votes than the two other short-listed goals of 24-year-old Corinthians midfielder Marlone of Brazil and 17-year-old Venezuela national women’s player Daniuska Rodriguez. 

The trio made the top-three shortlist after receiving the most number of online votes from the public from an initial list of 10 players including Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazilian Neymar.

Faiz’s free-kick in the 4-1 win against Pahang in a Super League match at the City Stadium on Feb 16, last year, produced a wicked swerve that goalkeeper Mohd Nasril Nourdin could only watch as the ball went into the net. 

All votes from the first round were added to the votes from the second round to find the overall winner.  

The Puskas award was established in 2009 with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Neymar among its previous winners.