Call this the alternative Puskas Awards, or maybe the “real” best 10 goals of 2016. Whatever you wanna name it, you have to admit there are some pretty stunning finished on this list, which are just as good as the one FIFA put together, only from (mostly) lesser known leagues and competitions, but in no way inferior in quality.
Warren Byrne, South Shields (England)
Even if this is just one of the lowest tiers in English football, Byrne channeling his inner Tony Yeboah deserves an appreciative nod or two.
Camilo, Botafogo (Brazil)
A perfect scissor kick execution by the 30-year old Brazilian midfielder.
Javi Gómez, Socuéllamos (Spain)
Gomez is playing for Toledo this season, but was on the Segunda Division B team last season, scoring this incredible bicycle kick goal, which was stunning in its fluidity, from the stop on the chest to the immediate form and finish.
Jesper Hellgren, Kransen United (Sweden)
The finest fifth-tier football in Sweden can produce, in the form of a 40-meter rocket of a shot.
Miroljub Kostić, Borac Čačak (Serbia)
It’s rare to see defensive players scoring stunning goals, but the 28-year old who has played for quite a few clubs across former Yugoslavia leagues finished with style and from way out in a match against FK Javor.
Lincoln, Gremio (Brazil)
The teenage attacking midfielder hasn’t done much since he made his first appearance for the Porto Alegre club, but this flying backheel kick is surely worth more than your regular goal.
Thomas Luciano, Gremio (Brazil)
It’s one thing to do a scorpion kick: That’s difficult enough. But to score with it? That’s almost impossible. Almost.
Diego Perotti, AS Roma (Italy)
The most “well-known” goal on this list is a surprising Rabona finish from Perotti for Roma in a thrashing of Viktoria Plzen.
Aleksandr Salugin, Amkar Perm (Russia)
The goalkeeper had a thing or two to do with this goal, but the finish from Salugin, needing just one touch to set himself up, is of the highest quality.
Eran Zahavi, Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel)
The Israeli scorer finished 2016 in China, playing for Guangzhou R&F, but his best goal of the year came while still in Israel, one of his 125 goals in 168 matches for Maccabi Tel-Aviv.