Getting To Know Ferenc Puskas, The Eternal Fertile Footballer In The Gol-Gol Indah Puskas Award

Ferenc Puskas (Sumber: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - On 17 November 2006, Hungarian and Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskas passed away at the age of 79. He died after a long battle with pneumonia.

Puskas was nicknamed the 'Galloping Major' after he served in the Hungarian army. Before closing his eyes, Puskas underwent intensive care at a hospital in Budapest for two months. Apart from treatment for pneumonia, he was also hospitalized for six years with Alzheimer's disease.

"The definite causes of death were heart and respiratory failure induced by pneumonia," said biographer Gyorgy Szollosi.

Citing The Guardian, Puskas took the lead in making Hungary the 'Golden Team' in the early 1950s and was part of the first foreign team to beat England at Wembley. Hungary won 6-3 on 25 November 1953 and became one of England's most famous defeats in the game.

Puskas later took Spanish citizenship and became part of Real Madrid, which won five consecutive European Cups between 1956 and 1960. Puskas scored 83 goals in 84 games for Hungary between 1945 and 1956, including two goals in Hungary's famous game against England.

He also starred in the subsequent 7-1 win in Budapest, which made Hungary a favorite for the 1954 World Cup. But injury limited Puskas' movement and impacted Switzerland and Hungary losing the final to Germany.

Additionally, Puskas scored 236 goals in 261 games for Real Madrid. In 1962 he took Spanish citizenship and played for his adopted country at the 1962 World Cup.

Puskas became the cornerstone of the succession of domestic and European football triumphs. He scored four goals in a 7-3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. In a superb final at Hampden Park in 1960, winning the European Cup three times overall.

Puskas Award

The name Puskas was given to the Puskas Award because Puskas was considered the best soccer player of all time. Puskas is one of the most iconic strikers in European football, from his generation onwards.

Quoting Goal, the people who are entitled to the Puskas Award are male or female players who are considered to have scored the most beautiful goals. Seen how aesthetically pleasing, during a calendar year in any division, tournament or league.

Judging the beauty of a goal is subjective. But the Puskas Award is given for the most visually significant purposes. Awards are not awarded for goals scored by chance, by mistake or by deflection. A panel composed of FIFA and external experts selected ten initial nominees.

The public then chooses their favorite goal on the official FIFA website. The top three goals that receive the most votes will be presented to the FIFA panel. Later they decide on the winner of the Puskas Award and it will be announced at the FIFA Best Awards ceremony in September.

"It is important to preserve the memory of the great footballers who have left their mark in our history," said former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2009, at the inauguration of the award.

“Puskas is not only a player with extraordinary talent who won many awards, but also an extraordinary man. Therefore FIFA is pleased to pay tribute to him by dedicating this award to his memory. "