Wendell Lira wins FIFA Puskás Award 2015

January 13, 2016

, a Brazilian, won the 2015 in Zürich on Monday. The Puskás Award is given to the football player voted by the public to have scored the best goal of the year.

Lira's goal was a, in a 2–1 victory for on March 11; he has since moved to. His goal won 46.7% of the vote, with about 1.6 million people voting. He won the award ahead of five-time winner Lionel Messi, whose solo goal against  in the  final won 33.3% of the vote. , who plays for AS Roma, scored a 50 long-range goal against FC Barcelona in a group stage match and came third with 7.1% of the vote.

When Lira's name was announced he broke into tears. He said "It honestly feels like a dream." Only 297 spectators were present in the stadium, Lira said, when he scored the goal in a regional championship of the second division. He added "I could never have guessed that it would change my life so much".

This was his first time in Europe. As a player of a second division football club, he said "I've been struggling to get my head around meeting so many stars, let alone being up for [the] award with Messi and then having my goal beat his in the vote." Lira also thanked "my family and all those who voted for me."

Messi praised the goal. "The fact is it's a great goal and he deserved it. The award is in good hands".