Terry Antonis's remarkable long-range goal has earned him a nomination for the FIFA Puskás award, which honors the best goals scored in a calendar year by male players. This nomination adds Antonis to a select group of eleven candidates, showcasing the global talents in football, and is reminiscent of the honor granted to the famous Hungarian forward Ferenc Puskás, after whom the award is named.

The goal, struck from just inside the halfway line, came during Melbourne City's dominating match against the Western Sydney Wanderers in round 12 of the 2023/24 A-League Men season, contributing to a striking 7-0 victory. This achievement is even more poignant considering that the Wanderers had decided to let the 31-year-old Antonis go the previous season, making the moment all the sweeter.

This marks the sixth time and the third consecutive year an Australian player has received a Puskás nomination. Notable previous nominees include Matildas captain Sam Kerr for her goal during the 2023 World Cup semifinal and Alou Kuol for his goal at the Under-23 Asian Cup in 2022.

The history of Australian nominees includes Riley McGree's scorpion kick in 2018 and Tim Cahill's memorable volley at the 2014 World Cup. The trend began with Lisa de Vanna in 2013, though she ultimately lost the award to Zlatan Ibrahimović’s celebrated strike.

In a significant development this year, FIFA introduced a dedicated category for the best women's goal, named in honor of the retiring Brazilian legend Marta. While Marta is among the nominees, Kyra Cooney-Cross narrowly missed eligibility for her outstanding goal against Germany. Voting for The Best Awards will conclude on December 10.