‘s bicycle kick at Goodison Park now stands proudly alongside Zlatan Ibrahimović’s audacious volley against and ‘s unforgettable strike in the Manchester derby. The then 19-year-old Argentine’s gravity-defying moment has rightfully earned Garnacho the 2024 FIFA Puskás Award.

On November 26, 2023, under Merseyside’s dim grey skies, Garnacho faced a hostile Everton crowd. But his goal came at the right moment, the third minute no less, to allay some of the deep turbulence for Manchester United. They were on their worst league start in 61 years.

Reliving Garnacho’s Puskas-winning wondergoal

The ball arced high into the Everton box, seeming to hang for an eternity. Garnacho, sensing the improbable, moved with audacity, his body twisting and lifting like a gymnast.

In that fraction of a second, he was suspended, weightless, as if he had escaped the very laws of physics. Then came the strike, perfectly executed, laced with power and precision, the ball exploding off his boot and into the opposite corner. The crowd fell silent.

Garnacho celebrated as he should, mimicking the first Puskas Award winner of all time: Ronaldo. The Manchester United legend was the first player in history to win the award for his 40-yard rocket vs in the 2009 Champions League.

It is easy to forget how quickly Garnacho’s rise has unfolded. Four years ago, Manchester United paid $520,000 to bring him from Atlético Madrid’s youth academy, a figure that now seems laughable despite his current struggles for consistency.

In the days leading up to his Puskás award, Manchester United’s newly appointed manager, Ruben Amorim, made headlines by dropping Garnacho and Rashford from the starting lineup in the Manchester Derby.

While Garnacho’s goal has secured its place in history, the 20-year-old has a lot of work ahead of him. Let’s see if the youngster regains his starting position and drops another Puskas this term.