Bryan Linssen’s wonder goal crowned Goal of the Year
Thousands of football fans have voted Bryan Linssen’s spectacular strike as the Goal of the Year. The 34-year-old N.E.C. Nijmegen forward scored an unforgettable goal from his own half during the home match against NAC Breda on 14 May 2025. His goal made it 3-0 and quickly went viral both in the Netherlands and abroad.
Linssen may have scored one of the most stunning goals of his career. After the match, he said:
"I’ve got a sort of bucket list of goals I want to score. A backheel, an overhead kick... but I’d never scored one like this before."
The goal wasn’t just spectacular — it was also significant. It helped N.E.C. secure a place in the European play-off semi-finals, although they eventually lost 3-2 to FC Twente.
In the public vote, Linssen narrowly edged out Mario Engels (Heracles Almelo), who also scored from his own half. Other nominees included Luuk de Jong, Anton Gaaei, Sem Steijn, and Mexx Meerdink.
Eredivisie Awards
Last year, the honour went to Igor Paixão for his goal against FC Utrecht on 31 March 2024. In previous years, the award was claimed by Michiel Kramer (2023), Cyril Ngonge (2022), and Marcos Senesi (2021).
Read more
