An outrageous backheel has the football world talking

Top-tier European football is only just returning, but an outrageous strike in England's second division might already have closed the goal-of-the-season submissions for the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Those superstars may have to yield to 21-year-old Bristol City striker Dom Ballard, who produced a moment of breathtaking improvisation during his side's 2-2 draw away to Birmingham City on Saturday.

When Bristol full-back Rio Cardines whipped in a cross to Ballard in the 86th minute, the odds were stacked heavily against the centre-forward. He had his back to goal, Birmingham centre-back Christoph Klarer tight behind him, and the cross arrived at an awkward height. Weighing up this unfavourable mix of variables, Ballard correctly deduced that there was only one possible strike available to him: a backheeled volley.

Flawless technique and a trajectory to die for

To even visualise a strike of such ingenuity requires a remarkable blend of quick thinking and imagination. Conceiving it is one thing, pulling it off another entirely, and here Ballard's technique and execution were flawless. Planting himself to the left of the penalty spot, Ballard flung his right boot at the ball, the speed of his leg swing producing enough power to beat Birmingham goalkeeper James Beadle.

More impressive than the power was the trajectory. The effort started outside the post before bending inwards towards the top-left corner, with Ballard's outside-of-the-boot contact generating the spin required.

Inevitably, the goal sparked scenes of wild jubilation from players and fans alike. The travelling Bristol supporters were perched behind the goal for a perfect view of the wonder strike, and Ballard made a beeline straight towards them, booting the advertising hoarding for good measure.

A career highlight despite the dropped points

Ultimately the day was tinged with disappointment for Bristol, with Birmingham equalising via a last-minute Demarai Gray penalty. On a personal level, though, this was surely a career highlight for Ballard. He had already proven himself a prolific scorer, finishing top of the League One scoring charts with 23 goals last season, but this was his first at Championship level following his summer move from Leyton Orient, and easily his most spectacular.

After the game, Bristol City's media team asked Ballard to talk through the strike while watching it back on a phone. "It's not bad," he laughed, putting himself in firm contention for understatement of the season, too. Not forgetting his media training, Ballard said he was "gutted to not get the three points", a statement somewhat undermined by his broad grin.

Comparisons with Olivier Giroud's scorpion kick

The goal brought to mind other iconic flicked finishes, with Olivier Giroud's famous scorpion kick in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on New Year's Day in 2017 perhaps the most memorable. Girouard won the 2017 FIFA Puskas Award for the strike, the annual prize for the best goal of the year.

But there is still a distinction in Ballard's effort that makes it hard to draw direct comparisons. Unlike Giroud, he was facing away from goal, making it much more difficult to judge the precise trajectory. The other notable difference is intent. Most finishes of this kind are reactive, split-second adjustments, whereas Ballard appears to telegraph the strike long before the ball reached him.

While the Puskas and the Ballon d'Or are hoovered up by elite names, jaw-dropping goals can come from more humble origins. Plundering England's lower leagues is a rich source of unique finishes, from Ballard's spectacular effort to the cheeky effort from Crewe Alexandra striker Josh March in their 1-0 League Two win over Northampton on Saturday.

An early contender

It is, of course, premature to declare it goal of the season this early on — the Bundesliga has yet to even start, for example — but Domad Ballard's flick will take some beating. The world's strikers are going to have to reach deep into their bag of sweetly-struck volleys to eclipse an audacious moment that has already had the football world talking.