Report: Messi and Julián Álvarez Included in FIFA’s 12-Goal World Cup Vote

FIFA has opened a fan vote to choose the best goal of the World Cup, according to Argentine outlet Olé, with Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez among the 12 listed candidates after Argentina’s run to the final.

The vote, as reported by Olé, is being hosted through Play.FIFA and will remain open for almost a week. The shortlist brings together goals from different stages of the tournament, including group-stage strikes, knockout-round moments and Ferran Torres’ title-winning goal for Spain against Argentina in the final.

For FootballGames10 readers tracking tournament awards after the final, the list is also a useful snapshot of the goals that shaped the competition’s strongest storylines: individual brilliance, long-range finishing, team moves and decisive knockout moments.

Key facts

Messi and Álvarez represent Argentina

Messi’s nominated goal is described by Olé as his first strike in Argentina’s 3-0 group-stage win over Algeria. The report says the goal came from outside the area after a combination involving Rodrigo De Paul, giving the Argentina captain a place on the 12-goal shortlist despite Spain ultimately beating Argentina in the final.

Álvarez is also included for his goal against Switzerland in the quarter-finals. Olé describes it as a powerful strike in extra time during Argentina’s 3-1 victory, a goal that helped push the team deeper into the knockout rounds.

Their inclusion gives Argentina two nominees on a list that covers both spectacular technique and match importance. It also keeps the focus on an Argentina side that, according to the same report, reached the final before losing to Spain.

A shortlist with major names

The list includes several of the tournament’s biggest attacking names. Kylian Mbappé is mentioned for a powerful goal in France’s 3-1 group-stage win over Senegal. Erling Haaland is included for what Olé calls a decisive finish in Norway’s 2-1 last-16 win over Brazil.

Jude Bellingham is also named for an individual goal in England’s 6-4 match against France for third place. Ferran Torres’ inclusion carries a different kind of weight: his nominated goal is described as the one that gave Spain the title against Argentina.

Those four names make the vote more than a highlight-reel exercise. For readers following player narratives across the tournament, it places decisive moments from Mbappé, Haaland, Bellingham and Torres alongside Argentina’s most memorable attacking contributions.

Goals from across the tournament

The shortlist is not limited to the most globally followed teams. Olé reports that Elijah Just’s goal for New Zealand in a 2-2 match against Iran is included after a strong collective move in the group stage.

Wilson Isidor is listed for a long-range strike in Haiti’s 4-2 defeat to Morocco, while Kerim Alajbegović is included for a goal in Bosnia’s 3-1 win over Qatar. Daizen Maeda is named for finishing a Japan team move in a 1-1 draw with Sweden.

Eldor Shomurodov’s goal is also on the list, with Olé noting it as Uzbekistan’s first goal at a World Cup, scored in a 3-1 defeat to Congo. Sidny Lopes Cabral is listed for a powerful strike in the Argentina-Cape Verde last-16 match, which Argentina won 3-2.

That spread matters because best-goal votes often reward more than tournament winners. They can also highlight teams and players whose moments might otherwise be overshadowed once the final is played.

What fans can check next

Readers who want to vote should go directly to Play.FIFA and check the active poll there, as the exact closing time and voting mechanics should be confirmed on the official platform rather than through secondary reports.

The Olé report says there is nearly a week to vote, but it does not provide full procedural details in the fetched text. Fans should also verify whether voting is restricted by account, region or platform access before assuming a ballot has been counted.

For match followers, the shortlist is worth revisiting with context: some goals were spectacular finishes, some came in high-pressure knockout situations and others carried historic value for smaller or first-time World Cup nations.

Why it matters for World Cup followers

The vote arrives after the tournament’s competitive story has already been settled, with Spain reported by Olé as champion. That makes the award part of the World Cup’s post-final debate: which moments will remain in public memory once the trophy presentation, final result and player awards have passed?

For Argentina supporters, Messi and Álvarez give the beaten finalist two strong entries. For neutral fans, the shortlist offers a cross-section of the tournament: established stars, emerging names, group-stage highlights and decisive late-round goals.

The safest next step is to treat the Olé list as a media report until checking the official Play.FIFA page directly. The nominees named in the report, however, provide a clear guide to the goals currently being discussed in the best-goal conversation.

Source: Olé — https://www.ole.com.ar/mundial/mundial-2026/mejor-gol-mundial-candidatos-12-goles-messi-argelia-julian-suiza-nominados_0_74AzMYmd6z.html