DUNDALK’S JORDAN FLORES will go up against some household names of world football in the battle for this year’s Fifa Puskas Award.
Flores’ League of Ireland wonderstrike against Shamrock Rovers was announced today as one of 11 contenders for the prestigious global goal of the year prize.
His stunning technical volley went viral in February of this year — just before the sporting shutdown — racking up over three million views on social media in the days that followed and making headlines across the world, including a slot on ESPN Sportscenter.
It’s worth at least one more look:
Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez and Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min also feature on this year’s shortlist.
Public voting for the Puskas Award, and for the rest of the Best Fifa Awards, is open now until 9 December, with three finalists to be announced in each category on 11 December ahead of the awards ceremony on 17 December.
The decision on the Puskas winner will be split equally between the results of the public poll and the selection of an international jury of Fifa legends.
2020 Fifa Puskas Award nominees
Shirley Cruz – Costa Rica v. Panama (28 January 2020)
Giorgian De Arrascaeta – Ceara SC v. CR Flamengo (25 August 2019)
Jordan Flores – Shamrock Rovers FC v Dundalk FC (28 February 2020)
Andre-Pierre Gignac – UANL Tigres v. Pumas UNAM (1 March 2020)
Sophie Ingle – Arsenal WFC v. Chelsea FC Women (19 January 2020)
Zlatko Junuzovic – SK Rapid Wien v. FC Red Bull Salzburg (24 June 2020)
Hlompho Kekana – Mamelodi Sundowns FC v. Cape Town City FC (20 August 2019)
Son Heung-min – Tottenham Hotspur FC v. Burnley FC (7 December 2019)
Leonel Quinonez – Universidad Catolica v. CSD Macara (19 August 2019)
Luis Suarez – FC Barcelona v. RCD Mallorca (7 December 2019)
Caroline Weir – Manchester City WFC v. Manchester United WFC (7 September 2019)
- Originally published at 09.45
5th Province very unlikely, Connacht struugle to get the supporters need to be viable, a development side, splitting support from one of the established provinces isnt really viable or wanted by the other 4. A team in England or France is unlikely as the IRFU would have to pay millions to have players released for training camps, only realistic options is either a partnership with someone like Dragons/zebre where young players paid by IRFU can go for gametime and player release in agreed, but would the WRU/FIR be happy that Irish players are developing instead of their own? Most realistic is a partnership with the SRU to relaunch a 3rd Scottish side, Boarders or Caledonian Reds, young Irish players and some senior Scottish ones could make a competitive team. Has existing supporter base.
@Kingshu: I’d be sending those post-Academy young players struggling to get game time to the Southern Hemisphere to get game time on loan. Player release isn’t an issue & they need to experience different environments for skill & personal development. Effectively get them doing what Oli Jager has done in NZ but with the option to bring him back after 2 years
@Graham Ross: But how many SH teams would want them in any numbers, for NZ/SA sides they would say why we giving gametime to young Irish players and not young NZ players, that will stay if they are good? Why invest in something they will not get the end result off. Most SR sides would be similar, maybe they would take 2/3 in total, but thats not really going to make a big difference. MLR team may be an option, somewhere with big Irish population, but that isn’t playing with the big boys.