DOHA, Qatar (AP) — A scorpion kick by Lizbeth Ovalle, the most expensive player ever in women’s soccer, and Santiago Montiel’s long-distance overhead shot won the FIFA awards on Tuesday for best goals last season.
Both had their backs to the net when scoring the winners. Fans voted for Ovalle and Montiel to receive the Marta Award and Puskas Award, respectively.
Ovalle flicked the ball with her heels in a midair leap facing away from goal playing in the Mexican league for Tigres against Guadalajara.
The women’s award is named for Brazil great Marta who is now Ovalle’s teammate at Orlando Pride. Marta won the award last year and also had a goal nominated by FIFA for this year’s edition.
Ovalle, who is also known as Jacquie, moved for a women’s world record transfer fee of $1.5 million to join the Pride from Tigres in August.
Montiel scored for Independiente in a game in Argentina’s Primera Division against Independiente Rivadavia. He leaped in the air about 22 meters (yards) out rising to meet a bouncing ball after a defender’s clearing header from a corner.
FIFA is staging its annual Best Awards at a private dinner in Doha on the sidelines of Paris Saint-Germain playing Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup game on Wednesday.
The awards for best player and best coach in men’s and women’s soccer were due later Tuesday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Orlando Pride midfielder Jacqueline Ovalle (13) kicks the ball against NJ/NY Gotham FC defender Mandy Freeman, left, during the second half of an NWSL women's semifinal soccer match, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski, File)
PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Tom Banton hit 54 not out off 33 balls and England won the second T20 against Sri Lanka by six wickets with two balls remaining under the DLS method on Sunday to clinch the series.
England has a 2-0 lead in the three-match series ahead of cricket's T20 World Cup, which starts Saturday.
Banton hit three sixes and four fours as England successfully chased down the revised target of 168 in 17 overs. It finished with 173-4 in 16.4 overs. Jos Buttler scored 39 runs off 29 balls, with six fours.
Sri Lanka lost the toss and had earlier reached 189-5 in 20 overs, with Pavan Rathnayake top-scoring for his team with 40 off 22 balls.
A short burst of rain meant the game was reduced to 17 overs a side.
Sri Lanka was beaten by 11 runs in a rain-affected series opener on Friday, also at Pallekele. The final T20 will be played at the same venue on Tuesday.
Pathum Nissanka scored 34 off 22 balls with two sixes and added 56 off 33 with Kamil Mishara (36) for the first wicket.
Jofra Archer (2-42) got the breakthrough in the sixth over, bowling Nissanka. Kusal Mendis then added another 50 off 33 balls for the second wicket with Mishara.
Mendis hit 32 off 17 deliveries, with four fours and a six, as Sri Lanka kept up a good scoring rate before losing three quick wickets.
Will Jacks had Mishara dismissed in the 11th over. Eight balls later, Liam Dawson sent back Mendis, while Adil Rashid trapped Dasun Shanaka lbw for 1 in the 14th over.
Rathnayake helped rescue the side from 131-4, sharing a stand of 56 runs off 36 balls with Charith Asalanka, who scored 28 not out off 22 balls and four fours.
It seemed a tough target for England, which had reached 57-2 in 7.2 overs — behind the DLS par score — when rain intervened.
Opener Phil Salt fell for 1, caught off Matheesha Pathirana (2-47), while Jacob Bethell was out for 13.
Rain and a wet outfield held up play for around 75 minutes before resuming with an adjusted target.
Buttler provided support to Banton, who powered his way to a half-century off 29 balls.
The duo added 43 off 28 deliveries before Buttler fell to Dunith Wellalage in the 10th over.
Banton added another 49 off only 20 balls with skipper Harry Brook (36), and then another rapid 43 off 25 with Sam Curran (20 not out off 14 balls) to win the match.
Brook smashed four sixes off 12 balls to bring the target within reach, before he was caught off Pathirana.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
England's Jos Buttler, left, celebrates with England's Phil Salt after hits a boundary during the second T20 cricket match between England and Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Feb, 1. 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Sri Lanka's Pavan Rathnayake plays a shot during the second T20 cricket match between England and Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Feb, 1. 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Sri Lanka's Dasun Shanaka celebrates the dismissal of England's Jacob Bethell during the second T20 cricket match between England and Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Feb, 1. 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
England's Tom Banton celebrates his fifty runs during the second T20 cricket match between England and Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Feb, 1. 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Sri Lanka's Janith Liyanage unsuccessfully attempts a run out as England's Tom Banton successfully completes a run during the second T20 cricket match between England and Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Feb, 1. 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
