Lucas Ribeiro picked the ball up inside his own half and went on an incredible 67-yard run past two Borussia Dortmund defenders before slotting home past and outstretched Gregor Kobel. It was an amazing individual effort that has lived long in the minds of FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ fans.
With so many amazing goals scored over the course of 63 matches, it was difficult to decide which effort would be named the best goal of Club World Cup. FIFA put the question to fans, who submitted their votes on social media over the course of a week — and the result was decisive. Lucas Ribeiro’s effort for Mamelodi Sundowns against Dortmund was the runaway winner of the award.
The Brazilian forward’s exquisite goal was the first of seven in one of the most exciting group stage games of the tournament, with Dortmund running out 4-3 winners.
“I am always confident. I’m very happy to have scored the goal,” he said afterwards. “The moment I turned with the ball, I said, ‘OK, let me go, let me put the ball in the space.’ I’m happy with the goal, but the most important thing is that the team played well.”
The Brazilian’s pace was a key factor in his goal. “I have good speed,” he added, “but not normally over a long distance. This was the difference for me scoring this goal.”
The Sundowns star’s long-range run beat out the likes of Kenan Yildiz’s outside the box screamer against Wydad AC, Lionel Messi’s free-kick finish against FC Porto and Joao Pedro’s stunner against Fluminense FC.
The award is also a recognition of Africa’s contribution to the tournament. Sundowns performed admirably, impressing a global audience before exiting after the group stage.
