Marcin Oleksi was left without a leg at the age of 23, but he did not leave his love for football. After 13 years, FIFA dedicates material to the Pole, who beat such famous players as Dimitri Payet or Richarlison, and won the Puskas Trophy for the most beautiful goal of the year.

Marcin Oleksi won the Puskas Trophy with an amputated leg

“He is Polish. He is a striker. Score goals. Many heads – and some of them are spectacular. On Monday night, he was in the spotlight as the winner of the Puskas Award at The Best FIFA Football Awards. No, it’s not Robert Lewandowski, the 2020 and 2021 FIFA best player. Now his compatriot Marcin Oleksy is in the spotlight.

Like Lewandowski, Oleksiy joins the prestigious club of players honored by the world football community. And again, like Lewandowski, he won accolades for his goals – and one goal in particular, which he scored on November 6, 2022, earned him the FIFA Puskas Award for the most spectacular achievement of the year.

Carli Lloyd and Alessandro Del Piero presented the trophy to a person with an amputated leg. But it was none other than the scorer himself, Oleksiy overcame his handicap, launched himself into the air and scored an exceptional scissors kick for Warta Poznan against Stal Rzeszów in the PZU Amp Futbol Ekstraklasa.

On a cross from the right, Oleksii relied on his instinct, agility and technique to execute the perfect shot, defying gravity in a moment of magic to send the ball into the net. It was a goal that quickly went viral and caught the attention of football fans around the world, including Lewandowski, who shared the video on social media and urged fans to vote for his compatriot.

“My teammate David Novak passed. When I saw the ball, I knew it was coming to me. I concentrated. It was perfect. When I hit, I followed the ball all the way and saw it go into the corner of the net. I always wanted to score a beautiful goal. You could see the pride on my face after I scored. I stood up, puffed out my chest. I was so happy.” – said Oleksii for FIFA a few days after being nominated for the Puskas Award.

Joy and pride. Two completely natural reactions, considering the trials that Oleksya had to overcome before his moment of fame. Indeed, if he ever dreamed of winning a major personal award one day, it would surely be the FIFA Best Goalkeeper Award. It was the position he played in before a terrible twist of fate put an end to those hopes.

Motivation and determination

While working on the roads, Oleksiy got into a serious accident, during which a car fell on his legs, doctors forced to amputate the lower part of his left leg. At that time, he was only 23 years old, and he could already lose hope that football will become a part of his life again. Instead, he viewed the situation with an unwavering optimism that came from seeing his pregnant wife’s belly while still in the hospital bed. He was just happy to be alive.

“I always dreamed that when my son was born, I would be able to play football with him. So when I got the sports prosthesis, I took it to the football field and we started playing and I felt like I wanted to go back there again.” – explained Oleksiyin an interview with ESPN.

Oleksiy began his comeback as a goalkeeper coach at youth level before discovering amputee football with Warta Poznań.

“After the first practice, I knew I wanted to stay and play football again.” Now, 12 years later, he still works in construction when he’s not playing as an outfielder in the amputees’ game, which involves teams of seven players on 60 x 40m indoor or outdoor courts. he even earned a place at the 2022 Paralympic World Championships in Poland. team where they reached the round of 16 before losing 2-1 to Brazil.

Today, thanks to his tenacity and fighting spirit – not to mention his talent – ​​the 36-year-old can be proud to join the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Mohamed Salah and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the list of FIFA Puskas Award winners.

Marcin Oleksi’s reaction after winning the Puskas Trophy

“It was difficult for me to dream of such a prize. I am in front of you today and I am receiving the award for the most beautiful goal in the world. I dedicate this award to Evelina, Tomek and Tosi, because thanks to them I was able to recover, I am here now and I can score such beautiful goals. I also want to thank the entire soccer community for someone creating this beautiful sport that makes us feel fulfilled. Thank you very much!” – Marcin Oleksiy at the FIFA The Best gala.