The 2021 Puskas Award nominees - ranked

With 2021 nearly behind us, awards season is ramping up and FIFA have whet our appetites by releasing the shortlist for this year's Puskas Award.

The current holder of the gong is Son Heung-min, whose Diego Maradona-esque solo goal against Burnley back in December 2019 set tongues-a-wagging.

With the South Korean not nominated this time around, we are bound to see a new winner and competition is looking tight. Here are the 11 goals, ranked by how likely they are to win the award.

11. Daniela Sanchez vs San Luis

The perfect way to kick off the list. That area of the goal is known as the postage stamp.

10. Sandra Owusu Ansah vs Kumasi Sports

What a moment for Sandra Owusu Ansah, who plays for the wonderfully-named Ghanaian side, Supreme Ladies FC.

She also boasts Fabulous Ladies FC among her former clubs.

9. Luis Diaz vs Colombia

We've done the maths and it is scientifically impossible to hit a volley sweeter than this.

8. Gauthier Hein vs Chamois Niortais

What a run.

Could Gauthier Hein follow in fellow nominee Riyad Mahrez's footsteps by breaking out of Ligue 2 and taking the world by storm? Probably not, no.

7. Riyad Mahrez vs Zimbabwe

This goal would be higher if it wasn't scored by a £60m winger against a team currently ranked 121st in the world.

6. Vangelis Pavlidis vs Fortuna Sittard

The classic: "if Lionel Messi would have scored that we would been calling it the best goal of all-time" goal.

5. Mehdi Taremi vs Chelsea

This goal meant absolutely nothing in the context of the game with Chelsea having already booked their place in the Champions League quarter finals.

Still, wasn't a bad hit was it?

4. Caroline Weir vs Manchester United

Scoring a goal like this, in the Manchester derby no less.

Yeah, Caroline Weir is a bit special.

3. Valentino Lazaro vs Bayer Leverkusen

Never, ever underestimate how ridiculously hard this is to pull off.

2. Erik Lamela vs Arsenal

Lockdown football was, on the whole, a pretty bleak experience.

There were rare moments of joy though, such as this delicious effort from professional piss boiler Erik Lamela.

1. Patrik Schick vs Scotland

Conceding a goal of this quality in a crucial Euro 2020 group-stage clash is just soooooo Scotland.

Some say David Marshall is still stuck in that net to this day.