Man Utd release Alejandro Garnacho statement as star follows Cristiano Ronaldo's footsteps

Manchester United have congratulated Alejandro Garnacho after the 20-year-old winger was named the 2024 FIFA Puskas Award winner on Tuesday evening. Garnacho has received the award, which recognised the year’s best goal, for his breathtaking bicycle kick against Everton in November last year.

He is only the second Argentinian recipient of the honour after Erik Lamela, who won in 2021 for his rabona goal that gave Tottenham the lead in the north London derby against Arsenal.

Garnacho unsurprisingly topped the Premier League and United’s Goal of the Season vote in 2023/24 with the third-minute strike that launched a 3-0 victory at Goodison Park.

And it has now been acknowledged as the best goal scored anywhere in the world between August 2023 and August 2024.

Alessandro Del Piero announced Garnacho as the latest winner of the Puskas Award at The Best FIFA Football Award ceremony in Doha, Qatar.

Other nominees included West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus, Aston Villa’s Jaden Philogene (for a goal he scored for Hull City last season) and Inter Milan’s Federico Dimarco.

A United statement read: “Congratulations to Alejandro Garnacho, who is the winner of the FIFA Puskas Award for 2024.

“The Manchester United winger has been recognised for the stunning, acrobatic bicycle kick he netted at Everton in November 2023.”

It added: “Well done to our No. 17, and thanks to all those who supported him. It’s a goal that we’ll cherish for years to come.”

Voting for the 2024 Puskas Award was split between fans and a panel of FIFA legends, meaning Garnacho will have received approval from icons of the game.

He has followed in the footsteps of one of them, his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, to become just the second United player ever to be named the winner.

Ronaldo was the award’s inaugural recipient back in 2009 for his thunderous long-range strike against FC Porto in the 2008/09 Champions League quarter-finals.

Another ex-Red Devils forward, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is also on the wall of champions, as well as Mohamed Salah, Neymar, Son Heung-min, Olivier Giroud and James Rodriguez.

Garnacho was absent from Sunday’s derby victory at Manchester City after Ruben Amorim excluded him and Marcus Rashford from the squad.

The attacking starlet will be battling to return to contention on Thursday when United visit Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

He is the Old Trafford giants’ top goalscorer this season, netting eight times, and Amorim will hope his tough love will have the desired effect.