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His impressive scissor kick beat out finalists Dimitri Payet and Richarlison for the top prize, as voted by fans and expert panelists.
Marcin Oleksy, a Polish amputee football player, was in disbelief after winning the 2022 FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal on Monday.
His impressive scissor kick beat out finalists Dimitri Payet and Richarlison for the top prize, as voted by fans and expert panelists.
"I still can't believe what happened," Oleksy said on Tuesday after returning to Warsaw. "But I am extremely happy. I managed to beat Payet, Richarlison, and even Kylian Mbappe.”
Oleksy admitted to feeling nervous as he went to collect the award, given the overwhelming emotions he was experiencing.
"I actually felt a little bit of fear when I went to collect the prize, wondering what it would be like," he said. "I tucked my head down at first, took two deep breaths - not to drop a tear."
Oleksy's win marked the first time an amputee had ever won the Puskas Award.
"I looked at the crowd and thought, 'So you can compete with Mbappe? Yes, you can! Is it possible to win against him? It is!'" he later told a news conference.
Mbappe, whose goal against Argentina in the World Cup final was on the initial shortlist of 11 nominees, congratulated Oleksy on his win.
"It was an honour to be nominated for the Puskas Award. Congratulations @airoleksy, your goal is a masterpiece, and you are an inspiration for all of us!" Richarlison wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of himself with Oleksy.
Oleksy combines his love of football with a full-time job as an excavator operator. He even joked about inviting Robert Lewandowski to a training session, saying, "I'll show him how to score nice goals."
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