Free kicks are an important aspect of football, and being able to execute them with precision can often make the difference between winning and losing a game. Throughout the years, many players have mastered the art of taking free kicks and have become renowned for their ability to score from seemingly impossible angles. In this article, we will take a look at some of the best free kick takers in the world, analyzing their technique, style, and their ability to consistently score from dead ball situations. Whether you’re a football fan or simply interested in the sport, this article will showcase some of the most skilled and impressive players in the game.
|
S.No |
Free Kick Goal |
|
1 |
Juninho Pernambucano |
|
2 |
Pele |
|
3 |
Victor Legrotaglie |
|
4 |
Ronaldinho |
|
5 |
David Beckham |
|
6 |
Diego Maradona |
|
7 |
Zico |
|
8 |
Rogerio Ceni |
|
9 |
Lionel Messi |
|
10 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
1. Juninho Pernambucano
Juninho Pernambucano, a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, is commonly known as Antonio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. Currently playing as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls, he is widely considered the greatest free-kick specialist of all time. Juninho Pernambucano, unlike many top players on the list, was known for his unique technique of “Knuckle balling.” He hit the ball as hard as he could without producing any spin to make the ball wobble in the air, move unpredictably and catch keepers out. Despite attempts by some of the world’s best soccer players to imitate his technique, none have come close to mastering it because of its difficulty. Juninho Pernambucano currently holds the record for the most free-kick goals with a tally of 77. However, active players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are on the top ten list, have the chance to catch up with him if they improve their performance on the spot.
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2. Pele
Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player to have played the beautiful game, had an illustrious career for both club and country, scoring nearly 1300 goals, including friendlies. He mostly used impeccable technique and pace in his free-kick deliveries, with little to no swerve, often leaving goalkeepers guessing the ball’s direction. While Pele’s impressive total goal tally of 765 suggests he may have scored the occasional free-kick, his final score of 70 might make some think he was a little greedy in front of the goal.Pele was a genius with both feet, a ruthless competitor, and had a desire to score. He frequently put his laces through the ball during his free kicks, relying on speed and power to score many of his goals.
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3. Victor Legrotaglie
Despite being one of the least-known players on the list, Victor Legrotaglie is considered one of the top free-kick takers in the game, having scored more free-kicks than even some of his more illustrious compatriots such as Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. The Argentine spent his entire career playing for Gimnasia y Esgrima in his home country, and despite being courted by some of the world’s best teams, he remained loyal to his team. Throughout his two-decade-long career, which was primarily focused on gymnastics and fencing, the now 85-year-old had many noteworthy experiences.
4. Ronaldinho
On this list, Ronaldinho is included as another South American expert in taking free-kicks. His skills with the ball were unmatched, and he often left even the most skilled defenders looking foolish and struggling to keep up. Despite his relatively short career, the 2002 FIFA World Cup winner and Barcelona legend scored many memorable free-kicks. Ronaldinho utilized a variety of techniques and trickery in his free-kicks, making it difficult for the opposition to anticipate his next move. Whether he was curling the ball over the wall or drilling it under a swarm of jumping players, he could do it all. Ronaldinho’s free-kicks were a combination of power, fizz, curl, and technique, and he once scored an unforgettable goal in a World Cup match against a mesmerized David Seaman. Spotting Seaman off his line, Ronaldinho ignored the wall and caught the English keeper off guard. Throughout his career, many top-tier defenders were left trailing in Ronaldinho’s wake due to his brilliance and deception with the ball. In fact, he holds the record for one of the most free-kick goals in the Champions League.
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5. David Beckham
With 65 successful free-kicks, David Beckham was one of the few Englishmen who had mastered the art of scoring from such situations. Despite lacking speed on the field, the 47-year-old had remarkable pace, curl, and accuracy in his free-kicks. Beckham’s foot would almost form a right angle with the ball at the point of contact, giving the ‘dead ball’ enough spin and fizz to curl over the wall and back into the net. While he may not have been a prolific scorer, the former Manchester United and England legend more than made up for it with his dead-ball expertise. Beckham has scored several unforgettable free-kicks throughout his illustrious career, and his record of the most free-kick goals in the Premier League is a testament to his skill.
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6. Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona was also a free-kick specialist. The late Argentine was a magician with the ball at his feet, and his memorable performances during the Albiceleste’s victorious 1986 FIFA World Cup campaign included scoring one of the goals of the tournament. In addition to his overall brilliance, the Napoli legend scored many unforgettable free-kicks throughout his career, relying on a combination of technique and precision. Maradona is even credited with having helped his compatriot Lionel Messi hone his own free-kick skills. Despite his troubled life, the legendary Maradona is still regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport’s history, earning the moniker “Godfather of Free-Kick Specialists.” His compact and strong frame made it nearly impossible for opponents to steal the ball from him when he had it at his feet, and everything he did on the soccer field, including his set-pieces, exuded intelligence and originality. With his quick ball-bending skills, he was able to score an impressive 62 career goals from set pieces, regardless of the distance from the goal.
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7. Zico
Zico, a legend of Flamengo, is considered one of the most skillful players to have graced the game of football. With over 500 goals for club and country, including more than 60 free-kicks, Zico had a remarkable career. In 1979, he had an extraordinary season, scoring 56 goals which accounted for more than 50% of his team’s goal tally. Zico mostly relied on finesse and precision when taking free-kicks, hitting them with incredible accuracy, something that very few players have matched. He once scored a hat-trick of free-kicks for Udinese in a Serie A game. Zico was a master of scoring from set plays as he had the ability to bend the ball wherever he wanted, making it impossible for even the most attentive goalkeepers. He holds one of the top spots on the list of players with the most free-kick goals in history.
8. Rogerio Ceni
Rogerio Ceni, widely regarded as one of the best goalkeeper free-kick takers, has scored an incredible 131 goals, almost double that of his closest rival, Jose Luis Chilavert, who has scored 67 goals. This is a total that many attackers and midfielders would envy. Ceni’s goals mostly came from penalties and free-kicks, with only one goal coming from open play. Ceni’s free-kicks were taken with a combination of pace and swerve that left most goalkeepers bewildered. He is considered one of the most prolific free-kick takers in history.
9. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi, much like Ronaldo, has managed to score more than 50 goals for club and country from direct free-kicks. This skill is a fairly recent addition to his already impressive skillset. Messi has scored 50 free-kicks in club football, with all of them being for Barcelona except for 8 for Argentina. Interestingly, almost half of these goals have come in the last five seasons. Messi has developed a unique technique known as the ‘sprained-ankle’ technique to hit his free-kicks. This allows him to apply the perfect amount of spin and curl to the ball, enabling it to evade the wall and beat the goalkeeper. Earlier this year, Messi scored his 49th free-kick for Barcelona, bringing his total goals for the club to 650. Messi has scored at least 10 more free-kicks than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues in the past five seasons. He also holds the record for the most free-kick goals in a season.
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10. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal-scoring prowess has earned him a spot on the list of players with the most free-kick goals. He is considered one of the greatest players ever to play the game. Ronaldo’s specialty is scoring from far away rather than near the box. Although his free-kick scoring ability has declined somewhat in recent years, he still poses a threat from dead-ball situations. Ronaldo utilizes the knuckleball technique to take free-kicks, employing little side spin to enable the ball’s trajectory to be guided by the surrounding airflow. The pace, lack of spin, and unpredictable trajectory of his free-kicks make them very difficult for goalkeepers to save. Most of Ronaldo’s free-kick goals have come for Real Madrid (32), with 13 coming for his current club, Manchester United. He holds the record for the most free-kick goals in the UEFA Champions League.
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TRENDING
Top 10 Free-Kick Scorers of all time
|
S.No |
Free-Kick Scorers |
|
1 |
Juninho Pernambucano |
|
2 |
Pele |
|
3 |
Victor Legrotaglie |
|
4 |
Ronaldinho |
|
5 |
David Beckham |
|
6 |
Diego Maradona |
|
7 |
Zico |
|
8 |
Lionel Messi |
|
9 |
Marcelinho Carioca |
|
10 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Who has Scored the Most Free-Kick Goals in Football History?
The player who has scored the most free-kick goals is Juninho Pernambucano from Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, is commonly known as Antonio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. During his career, Juninho led Olympique Lyonnais to 7 consecutive Ligue 1 titles before leaving the club in 2009. He scored 100 goals in 344 official games for Lyon and six goals in 40 games for the Brazilian national team. After the 2006 World Cup, he retired from international football. Juninho started his career at Sport, where he quickly established himself as a rising star in Brazilian football. Following two regional titles with Sport, he moved to Vasco da Gama in 1995. He won several trophies with the club, including the Brazilian Championship in 1997 and 2000, the Copa Libertadores in 1998, the Copa Mercosur in 2000, as well as the 2000 Brazilian Silver Ball award.
Who is the Best Free-Kick Taker of All Time?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are widely regarded as two of the greatest football players of all time, and a topic that is often debated is who is the better free-kick taker. While both players have a formidable reputation when it comes to scoring goals, it is interesting to note that Messi has now overtaken Ronaldo in terms of the most free-kick goals scored. Lionel Messi has surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo, with Messi scoring 61 and Ronaldo 58. It’s worth noting that when comparing the two players’ records, Messi has only scored five Champions League free-kick goals, while Ronaldo has scored 12.
Who has the Most Free-Kick Goals?
Lionel Messi, widely considered one of the greatest football players of all time, has recently surpassed his longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, in terms of the number of free-kick goals scored. Messi’s latest goal has pushed his tally to an impressive 62 free-kick goals, surpassing Ronaldo’s record of 60. The Argentine maestro has achieved this feat by honing his technique and utilizing his immense skill and precision to place the ball in the back of the net with impressive consistency. His proficiency from free-kicks has been a crucial factor in his team’s success over the years, and he has demonstrated his ability to score from a range of distances and angles, making him a formidable opponent for any goalkeeper. It is worth noting that while Messi may have surpassed Ronaldo in terms of overall free-kick goals scored, the Portuguese superstar still holds the record for the most free-kick goals in the UEFA Champions League, with 12 goals compared to Messi’s 5. Nevertheless, both players have contributed significantly to the art of free-kick taking and have secured their places among the all-time greats of the game.
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