OFFICIAL: Brazilian legend Marta wins the first-ever Marta Award

OFFICIAL: Brazilian legend Marta wins the first-ever Marta Award, the award named after her

On a night dedicated to women, FIFA paid the ultimate honor to one of the all-time greats by naming a new award for the best goal scored by a woman in the next year after Brazilian forward Marta.

The all-time top goalscorer, either male or female, in World Cup finals, with 17 goals, and the first player to score in five successive tournaments, Marta was presented with a special trophy at The Best FIFA Football Awards last night in recognition of "more than 20 years of stellar service to the sport."

During that time, she has been voted the FIFA World Player of the Year on six occasions, an outright record in the history of the game until eclipsed by Lionel Messi in 2023. As part of her Special Award, FIFA announced that from next year, "the best goal scored in women’s football will receive the ‘Marta Award’."

Since 2009, the world governing body FIFA has awarded a prize, the Puskás Award, to what was considered the "most beautiful" goal scored during the previous year. The first winner was Cristiano Ronaldo for a 40-yard strike for Manchester United against FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

Ferenc Puskás, a prolific scorer for Honved, Real Madrid and the Hungarian national team, never lived to see the prize bearing his name be awarded having died in 2006. On the creation of the award on October 20, 2009, FIFA President, Sepp Blatter said "it is important to preserve the memory of those footballing greats who have left their mark on our history."