Puskas award winner Wendell Lira has quit football to concentrate on his FIFA career

You remember Wendell Lira, don’t you?

Of course you do – he’s the bloke that was crowned winner of the Puskas award back in January.

Now 27 years of age, the Brazilian has only mustered six goals in what’s proved to be an injury-plagued career, but his spectacular acrobatic effort for Goianesia in their match against Atletico-GO last year was enough for him to bag Fifa’s goal of the year award. If you can’t remember it, let us refresh your memories…

https://youtu.be/t3RVurT8obo

Not bad, but could he do it on a Tuesday night at Stoke? Sadly, after recent developments, we’ll never know the answer to that question.

Having picked up his Fifa gong at the glitzy awards ceremony in Zurich at the start of the year, many might have expected Mr Lira to use it as a springboard for his career. Instead, just six months on, it appears his playing days are done.

The Brazilian has retired from the game in order to pursue another career as a professional gamer. According to Eurosport, he’s even linked up with a YouTube channel and will be participating as a gamer in the money-spinning e-sports industry.

“I define my life in two dreams – one possible and another almost impossible,” he is quoted as saying in Globo Esporte.

“One was to be a player and have achievements, which is difficult because, in Brazilian football, it is difficult to become professional.

“In fact, 95 per cent of football players from Brazil have difficulties. I lived 15 years in football, and had good times and bad.

“I had pleasant moments I’ll never forget. I played alongside big stars too. I had pleasure being a guy who was actually accomplished at football.

“And I had the dream of being a gamer, I always had this desire to live it.

“It is almost impossible to stop playing football to live as a gamer, but God gave me this opportunity.

“It is not the end of a dream. In fact, God has given me the opportunity to have this job as a follow-up in my life, being happy and continuing with that smile.”

It’s a big career change, but Wenell has already proven that he’s no mug when it comes to a game of FIFA. As we told you earlier in the year, he took on Abdulaziz Alshehri – winner of the 2015 FIFA Interactive World Cup – on the same night he won the Puskas award and beat him. And it’s not like he scraped a flukey 1-0, either. He absolutely destroyed him, 6-1.

Remember the name e-Sports fans: Wendell Lira.