'Salah didn't deserve Puskas Award over me' jokes Ibra

Liverpool foward Salah surprisingly took home the 'Goal of the season' prize, named after hungarian icon Ferenc Puskas,  over many other standout contenders, including; Gareth Bale's Champions League final overhead volley, Cristiano Ronaldo's bicycle kick away to Juventus, and Benjamin Pavard's outside of the foot, long-range volley for France against Argentina during the World Cup last summer. 

 

24 September 2018

However, outspoken Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic claimed that Salah's goal was not deserving of the award, and joked that his wonder strike against Los Angeles FC in the MLS deserved to take home the award.  Speaking to the United States assembled media after the awards ceremony, Zlatan said the following: "I think Cristiano scored a nice goal. I didn't see the candidates, because if my goal was not there, it was not interesting. But my goal should have been there, against LAFC, or you have my 500 goals, but let's see. Maybe I'm there next year."

Honoured to be nominated for the 2018 FIFA #Puskas Award. To score a goal like that on the biggest stage of world football was a dream come true! https://t.co/58DL3wucfR #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/K2GmCNDaxr

— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) 3 September 2018

The huge grin across the face of Ibrahimovic showed that he did indeed make the comments in jest, but his disagreement with the winner of the award was an opinion commonly shared across the footballing community. The decision left fans, players and ex-professionals flabbergasted that neither of Real Madrid duo Gareth Bale or Cristiano Ronaldo did not take home the prize; the former's mesmerising strike being the decisive goal in what was a third consecutive Champions League triumph for 'Los Blancos'.