Lionel Messi has been awarded UEFA’s Goal of the Season award for his free-kick against Liverpool at Camp Nou last season. It is the third time in five seasons Messi has won this particular prize, having also come out on top in 2015 and 2016. The set-piece by Barcelona’s Argentine star from 30 yards out was his second goal of the match.
Messi’s second goal rounded off his team’s 3-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final on May 1. Cristiano Ronaldo was runners-up in the UEFA award for the goal he scored for Juventus against his former team Manchester United on November 7 at the San Siro Stadium.
…and here it is 👏
🔵🔴 A stunning free-kick from the @FCBarcelona captain! #UCL | #GoalOfTheSeason pic.twitter.com/nUHfJVPuBl
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 9, 2019
The third spot went to Portugal’s Danilo who scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Serbia in the Euro qualifiers.
Fans voted on the UEFA website and social media accounts to choose between 10 goals scored in the 2018-2019 season.
Mario Mandzukic was honoured for his stunning volley in the Champions League final loss to Real Madrid in 2017, while Ronaldo was victorious last year for the overhead kick he scored against future employers Juve.
Only goals from UEFA club or international fixtures in 2018-19 were eligible for consideration, with a UEFA expert panel selecting the shortlist from which the winner was chosen by a public vote.
The final winners were selected by a jury comprising of former coaches and international players.
