Top 5 Youngest Puskás Award Winners
When FIFA introduced the Puskás Award in 2009, the goal was simple: to celebrate the most beautiful goal scored each year — regardless of competition, fame, or nationality. Named after legendary Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskás, the award honors creativity, audacity, and technical brilliance — everything that makes the game truly beautiful.
The award stands as a tribute to Puskás’ legacy — a player who defined attacking excellence for both Real Madrid and Hungary during the 1950s and 1960s. With 806 goals in 793 matches, Puskás set the benchmark for greatness. His name now represents football’s most artistic achievement: the perfect goal.
⚽ What Makes a Puskás Goal?
Winning the Puskás Award isn’t just about scoring – according to FIFA, the criteria for the award include:
- The goal must be “absolutely beautiful” — whether through long-range power, intricate team play, rabonas, scorpion kicks, or solo runs.
- It must be judged without distinction of championship or nationality — meaning any player, from any league, can win.
- The goal cannot be the result of luck, deflection, or an offside position.
- The scorer must uphold fair play, with no record of misconduct or doping.
- A player can only be nominated with one goal per year.
This ensures that every winner represents not just skill, but sportsmanship and creativity!
The Youngest Puskás Award Winners
⚽ 5. Miroslav Stoch – 23 years, 2 months (2012)
In 2012, Miroslav Stoch of Fenerbahçe unleashed a thunderous volley that rocketed into the top corner — a strike that would earn him Slovakia’s first and only Puskás Award. The precision, timing, and sheer confidence behind the goal were extraordinary – a reminder that sometimes perfection lies in a single, clean strike.
🇸🇰😎 Miroslav Stoch turns 35 today! 🎉
He won the Puskas award back in 2012 with this goal for Fenerbahçe! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/HXU0xAVRca
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) October 19, 2024
⚽ 4. Guilherme Madruga – 23 years, 2 months (2023)
Brazilian midfielder Guilherme Madruga produced one of the most outrageous goals ever seen in Brazil’s Série B, playing for Botafogo-SP. His long-range overhead kick from outside the box defied both physics and expectation. The goal went viral within minutes, proving that true beauty in football often comes from the most unexpected places.
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⚽ 3. Alejandro Garnacho – 20 years, 5 months (2024)
Alejandro Garnacho’s 2024 Puskás-winning goal for Manchester United instantly became a Premier League classic. His bicycle kick against Everton left fans speechless — a moment of acrobatic brilliance that drew comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo’s most famous efforts. The strike was so clean, so sudden, and so technically perfect that it instantly became a contender.
📸 Alejandro Garnacho with his Puskas award 🥇#MUFC pic.twitter.com/bGWwRaHyzu
— United Update (@UnitedsUpdate) February 13, 2025
⚽ 2. Neymar Jr. – 19 years, 11 months (2011)
Long before his European fame, a teenage Neymar was dazzling crowds in Brazil with Santos FC. In 2011, he produced a solo masterpiece of individual skill, composure, and audacity. Picking up the ball in his own half, Neymar weaved through the defense before calmly finishing past the goalkeeper. It was street football turned into art!
We won’t forget when Neymar finished in the Top 10 for the Ballon d’Or while playing for Santos 😳💪🇧🇷
👕 60 Games
⚽️ 31 Goals
🅰️ 11 Assists
🏆 FIFA Puskás Award
🥇 Best Player in South America🔢 Top 10 of the Ballon d’Or
Take us back to 2011 Neymar 🥹 pic.twitter.com/KKVgbNbuP2
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) November 2, 2025
⚽ 1. Dániel Zsóri – 18 years, 11 months (2019)
The youngest-ever Puskás winner, Dániel Zsóri, was still a teenager when he stunned the world in 2019. Playing for Debreceni VSC, Zsóri marked his debut with a sensational overhead kick against Ferencváros — a goal that combined perfect timing, technique, and pure instinct. The strike didn’t just secure a 2–1 victory; it made Zsóri a global sensation overnight.
Football is beautiful.
Daniel Zsori’s Puskás Award-winning goal. 🥇 #FIFAFootballAwards pic.twitter.com/PGwFzWdyZZ
— FotMob (@FotMob) September 23, 2019
