The 4 best goals of 2016

Football is commonly dubbed the Beautiful Game - and your belief in the sport's beauty will probably never be stronger after you have seen what we consider the four best goals scored all year. Three of these goals are actually nominees for the 2016 Fifa Puskás prize - and the other goal was also in that contest until pretty recently. The winner of that award won't be announced until 9 January - so, until then, why not re-watch clips of the following goals, enjoy the exhilaration brought by each, and judge which of them is the crème de la crème?

Robson-Kanu believe it?

It definitely won't be getting the Puskás accolade now, as it has failed to make the most recent shortlist; however, Hal Robson-Kanu's goal for Wales against Belgium in Euro 2016 is truly superb. Robson-Kanu, who wasn't signed to a national team when he entered the European tournament, executed a Cruyff turn that sent Belgian defenders Jordan Lukaku and Thomas Meunier elsewhere.

At the time of Robson-Kanu's goal, the score was 1-1; however, in eluding Belgium's keeper Thibaut Courtois, the now West Bromwich Albion forward gave Chris Coleman's side a 2-1 lead and sent social media wild. Sam Vokes made the final score 3-1, thanks to a late header. The win, on 1 July, brought Wales from the tournament's last eight and into a semi-final.

The Marlone and only?

Brazil tends to be well-represented in lists of final nominees for the Puskás Award - and so it has continued in 2016. This time, the goal is from midfielder Marlone - who, in his then side Timão's Copa Libertadores fixture against Chilean team Cobresal on 21 April, recovered an initially unsuccessful cross. He then brought the ball into the air before acrobatically sending it past Cobresal keeper Sebastian Cuerdo. Marlone now plays for Corinthians.

Another goal of a South American flavour

The only female representative on either list - the most recent Puskás shortlist or our own four-strong list, we mean - is Rodriguez. Her goal, for her international side Venezuela on 14 March, was a dribbled one against Columbia. Playing in the Women's U-17 Sudamericano Championship, Rodriguez showed some nifty footwork as she got past Manuela Venegas and Sofia Montoya, before sending the ball flying into the net's roof. The 17-year-old will doubtless be thrilled if she succeeds in winning the Puskás at her early age.

Doing Malaysia proud

Malaysia has already made a first in its bid to land the Puskás; Subri is the Southeast Asian country's first ever nominee for the accolade. However, given how stunning his nominated strike was against Pahang, we don't think that Subri will be content to settle for just a nomination! That strike actually came from a free kick - which, being fired at distance, was a "knuckleball" style blast resulting in an amazing swerve and dip. Pahang's keeper Mohd Nasril Nourdin was no match, and so it was Subri and his team, Pulau Pinang, that took the plaudits on that occasion on 16 February.