Polish footballer Marcin Oleksy became the first ever amputee footballer to win the FIFA Puskas Award with his fantastic overhead kick finish in 2022.
Marcin Oleksy won the 2022 Puskas Award for his outstanding overhead kick finish, seeing off brilliant efforts from both Dimitri Payet and Richarlison to come away with the top prize. The Polish amputee footballer bagged the sublime goal while playing for Warta Poznan and became the first ever amputee footballer to be on the shortlist for the prize, as well as the first to win it.
Payet was nominated for a wonderful half-volley strike from distance for Marseille, while Richarlison stole headlines with Brazil at the 2022 World Cup with his fabulous touch and bicycle kick finish against Serbia to make up the top three. But, Oleksy’s incredible overhead kick of his own was enough to finish ahead of both of the two household names in European football; a huge moment for the footballer who became an amputee in 2010 following an accident at work.
Oleksy being shortlisted and winning such an illustrious award opens the door for a much more inclusive future in football. Elsewhere on the night, awards are being given out in Paris to the best players, goalkeepers and coaches in men’s and women’s football