English football’s third-tier player, Fleetwood Town’s David Ball has become an unlikely rival of four-time World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi.
Ball is up against Messi, Carlos Tevez, a Champions League and Copa Libertadore winner, and Carli Lloyd, women’s World Cup winner, to contend for Fifa’s Puskas Award 2015.
Named after the amazing Real Madrid and Hungary striker Ferenc Puskas, the award is given for the most aesthetically pleasing goal of the year.
David Ball made it to the prestigious list of nominees with his beautiful chip against Preston in March this year, reminding critics as well as spectators of a goal by Eric Cantona for Manchester United against Sunderland in the 5-0 win in 1996.
Fifa’s nomination described Ball demonstrating ‘fine footwork’ in the match against Preston, and said his equalizer was ‘as talented as his fast feet’.
The English footballer is thrilled, of course, to be named with the football icons of the time, and says ‘it feels fantastic just to be among these names’.
Football fans will now be voting for the award, which will be presented at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on January 11, 2016.