Exciting Nominees for the Prestigious Best Goal Award
The International Federation of Football, known as FIFA, has officially announced the final list of candidates vying for the coveted Best Goal award from the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The tournament concluded recently, with Spain celebrating its second championship title in history. FIFA revealed an exclusive selection of just 12 goals from a remarkable total of 308 goals scored throughout the tournament, marking this edition as the highest-scoring World Cup since its inception in 1930. Fans from around the globe are invited to participate in the voting process to determine which goal deserves to be crowned the most beautiful among this carefully curated list.
FIFA has specified that the public voting process for the Best Goal award will remain open until July 27, a full week post-tournament, allowing as many fans as possible the opportunity to cast their votes for the goal they believe merits this prestigious accolade. However, it was disappointing to note that the final list did not include any goals scored by players from the eight Arab teams that participated in the tournament—Morocco, Algeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, and Jordan—despite their impressive performances and some remarkable goals throughout their campaigns. Ironically, three of the twelve nominated goals were scored against Arab teams, suggesting that a quarter of the contenders came at the expense of these sides.
Star Players and Memorable Goals Shine in Nominations
Leading the charge in the nominations is none other than Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, captain of the runner-up team, who dazzled fans with a spectacular goal against Algeria during the group stage. Joining him on the list is French sensation Kylian Mbappé, the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, who secured his spot with a stunning strike against Senegal in the opening match of Group Nine, where he also emerged as the top scorer of the 2026 edition with ten goals. Another notable mention is Spanish forward Ferran Torres, whose golden goal in the final against Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey helped secure Spain's second World Cup title, following their victory in South Africa in 2010.
Argentina's Julián Álvarez, currently shining with Atlético de Madrid, also made the cut with his goal against Switzerland in the quarter-finals, which played a pivotal role in Argentina's journey to the semi-finals. From England, Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham impressed with a fantastic goal against France in the match for third place, contributing to England's bronze medal achievement. Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, known for his prowess at Manchester City, is included for his remarkable goal against the Brazilian national team, marking a significant upset as Brazil faced elimination in the round of 16.
Additionally, the nominees feature Bosnian player Karim Alajbegović, who scored beautifully against Qatar, and Cape Verde's Sidny Cabral, who netted a goal against the defending champions Argentina in the round of 32, showcasing one of the tournament's surprises before Argentina advanced to the next round. Meanwhile, from Haiti, Wilson Isidor received a nomination for his goal against Morocco, marking the third goal scored against Arab teams in this final list. New Zealand's Elijah Just and Japan's Daizen Maeda also showcased their talents with stunning goals against Iran and Sweden, respectively, during the group stages. The list is rounded off by Uzbek forward Eldor Shomurodov, who scored against the Democratic Republic of Congo, completing the prestigious list of twelve goal contenders for this esteemed award.
As reported by goal.com.
