UECL

VIDEO: Can Payet's ridiculous Conference League goal win 2022's Puskas award?

Jidechi Chidiezie 08:41 - 08 April 2022

Dimitri Payet scores worldie on Thursday night

First-half goals from Gerson and Payet gave Marseille a 2-1 win over PAOK

Marseille captain Dimitri Payet scored a stunning goal in his side's 2-1 Europa Conference League quarter-final triumph over Greek side, PAOK.

The Thursday evening first leg clash at the Stade Velodrome, saw the French side go 1-0 up through Gerson before Payet then doubled his side's lead just before half-time.

Social media reacted to his sensational strike with claims that it could be the goal of the season.

"Goal of the season material from Payet", social media giants Twitter reacted, via their official sports account.

The outrageous goal, could also well be considered by FIFA for the 2022 Puskas Award - an award given to the male or female footballer judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant, or "most beautiful", goal of the calendar year.

Perhaps, be the judge of that,

What are the criteria for the Puskas Award?

It should be an absolutely beautiful goal (subjective, but decided by voting and judgement from experts — the spread of goals should include long-range shots, team goals, rabona, overhead kicks, individual plays, scorpion kicks, etc.).
It should be awarded "without distinction of championship, gender or nationality".
It should not be the result of luck, mistakes, deflection by another player or the player in an offside position.
It should support fair play, i.e. the player should not have behaved badly in the game or have been charged with doping, for example.
The player cannot be nominated with two different goals.