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ESPN staff 8y

Wendell Lira wins 2015 FIFA Puskas Award for best goal over Lionel Messi

Wendell Lira won the 2015 FIFA Puskas Award for his spinning bicycle kick while playing for Goianesia in the Brazilian Goias state championship.

Lira, 27, upset the favoured Lionel Messi, who was a finalist for his goal for Barcelona against Athletic Bilbao in May's Copa del Rey final.

The Brazilian was honoured at the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday in Zurich, where Messi later took the top honour as World Player of the Year.

"It is an honour to be here to get know famous players I've only seen on the screen before," Lira said in accepting the award. "I thank my family and all those who voted for me. I should like to thank my wife and my daughter."

Lira received 46.7 percent of the vote, well ahead of Messi's 33.3 percent  and 7.1 percent for Alessandro Florenzi of Roma for his goal against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Messi's goal opened the scoring in the 2014-15 Copa del Rey final when he received the ball just inside Athletic's half and went on to beat four men before smashing a shot into the near corner.

Messi has never won the Puskas Award.

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