5 best set-piece takers in world football right now (2023)
Set-piece specialists are quite important in the world of football as they offer a distinct advantage to their teams. The ability of set-piece specialists can often be the key to breaking down resolute defences or capitalizing on critical moments in a match.
Free-kicks, corners and indirect set-pieces can all become potentially dangerous moments in games thanks to set-piece specialists. At the highest level of the sport, every small advantage matters, and set-piece specialists thus contribute significantly to the overall success of their sides.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best set-piece takers in world football right now.
#5 Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Joshua Kimmich's exceptional set-piece ability adds yet another dimension to his well-rounded game. As a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team, Kimmich's dead-ball deliveries are marked by their precision and variety.
Not only is he quite a potent threat from direct free-kicks, but Kimmich is also capable of consistently creating goalscoring opportunities for his teammates from set-pieces. He uses his superior game intelligence to time his set-pieces to perfection.
Kimmich's whipped-in deliveries from dead-ball situations often place his teammates in advantageous positions to score.
#4 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne's set-piece prowess is nothing short of extraordinary. It further enhances his status as one of the best playmakers of the modern era. The Belgian midfielder is capable of executing pinpoint crosses and producing accurate free-kicks consistently for both club and country.
De Bruyne is a major threat from set-pieces as he is technically gifted enough to find the back of the net from direct free-kicks. Additionally, he can conjure up goalscoring opportunities for his teammates from indirect set-pieces.
De Bruyne's mastery over set-pieces often turns seemingly routine situations into crucial turning points in matches. This further highlights his invaluable role as a creative force for Manchester City and the Belgian national team.
#3 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Liverpool's technically proficient right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is a player of many qualities. While the defensive side of his game might be nothing to write home about, Alexander-Arnold has impressed time and again with his playmaking ability.
Alexander-Arnold is ridiculously good at set-pieces. Not only does he whip in dangerous crosses from corners and indirect free-kicks, but he has also shown the ability to find the back of the net directly from more favourable angles.
Alexander-Arnold's technique has earned him comparisons to David Beckham, and it's rather well deserved.
#2 James Ward-Prowse (West Ham United)
James Ward-Prowse is one of the best set-piece specialists in the world right now. He is incredibly good at direct free-kicks and was a hugely influential player for Southampton in recent years.
With almost poetic precision, he bends the ball around defensive walls and goalkeepers to deposit the ball in the corners of the net. Ward-Prowse is also excellent when it comes to delivering crosses from corners and is an all-around wonderful asset to have.
The Englishman joined West Ham United on a deal worth €34.8 million earlier this summer. He could prove to be quite a game-changing signing for the Hammers thanks to his exceptional set-piece ability.
#1 Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all time. There's hardly anything that Messi isn't the best in the world at when it comes to football. His passing, shooting and dribbling skills are all out of this world, and it's no surprise that he is arguably the very best in the business when it comes to set-pieces.
Messi did not start out as a set-piece specialist. It is a skill that he added to his repertoire later on. But the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has become a master of the craft and has become one of the best free-kick takers of all time.
He has already scored four goals from direct free-kicks in 2023 for club and country.