5 Goals That Were Better Than Mohamed Salah's Puskas Winning Goal

At the annual FIFA awards ceremony in London, Mohamed Salah surprisingly took home the best goal of the year. The Egyptian won the FIFA Puskás award for his Premier League strike against Everton. The goal itself was great, a strike that would be worthy of a goal of the month award. Declaring it as the best goal in world football from the last 12 months was incredibly generous.

We have not only seen much better goals over the last 12 months, but we have also seen them scored on much bigger occasions. Yes, a World Cup or Champions League goal is much more clutch than Salah's goal for a team chasing a top four finish. So here are five goals that would have been much more deserving winners of the award.

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#5 Ricardo Quaresma vs Iran

The Portuguese star is known for the spectacular (Picture Credit FIFA.com)

This was among the goals nominated that missed out. After playing a one-two with his Portuguese teammate, the winger looked set to cross the ball into the box. Instead Quaresma took a shot with the outside of his foot from about 25 yards out, and it incredibly flew into the top corner. The imagination and execution were incredible, and it came on the biggest stage of them all.

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#4 Edin Dzeko vs Lille

The Bosnian's volley was stunning (Picture Credit - Goal.com)

This volley from Edin Dzeko was a stunning finish that came during a Champions League game between two of Europe's best teams. Unfortunately for Dzeko, the goal came nearly a year ago, so many forgot what an incredible strike it was.

The goal itself came when Dzeko ran onto a long ball that was launched forward from the halfway line. The strikers excellent movement allowed him to pull away from the Chelsea defence, before he somehow managed to volley the ball past Courtois with his left foot.

#3 Toni Kroos vs Sweden

This was one of the best free kicks in World Cup history

With defending champions Germany seconds away from crashing out of the World Cup, Toni Kroos scored one of the best free kicks in World Cup history. The midfielder could only score by putting the ball into the far right corner, a fact that the goalkeeper would also have been aware of.

The German passed short to his teammate, who stopped the ball on the spot, and then Toni Kroos ran up and smashed the ball home into the far right corner. The angle for the free kick made it look impossible, but Kroos hit the ball with such power and accuracy that he incredibly found the back of the net. Bonus points also for how clutch it was, Germany were twenty seconds from going home.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo vs Juventus

Zidane's reaction to the wonder goal, highlighted just how good it was

This strike by the Portuguese legend was an incredible acrobatic goal, scored during a vital Champions League knockout game. The goal came after Dani Carvajal aimlessly lobbed a ball into the box, only for Ronaldo to somehow adjust his 33 year old body and score a stunning overhead kick from the penalty spot.

Ronaldo's strike was so brilliant that it would have been a deserving winner in most years of the Puskas award, however his former teammate then went on to score an even better goal in the Champions League Final.

#1 Gareth Bale vs Liverpool

How did this goal not win? (Picture Credit Goal.com)

This goal was not only the best goal of 2018, it was also scored in the most clutch situation. To produce a goal like this in a Champions League final with the game tied at 1-1, and with less than 30 minutes remaining is simply phenomenal. The Welshman twisted his body to meet a cross that was behind him, and managed to somehow score an overhead kick from nearly the edge of the penalty area.

Bale's strike was clearly the best goal of the year, and it is probably the best in Champions League history. Although he missed out on the Puskas award, Bale still has his Champions League winners medal, something Salah will likely never win if he remains at Liverpool.