Ranking the 12 players with most free-kick goals in football history
A direct free-kick goal is one of the most exhilarating sights in football. It requires a combination of skill, finesse and composure to execute a successful free-kick.
Free-kicks are hit with many different techniques. But in most cases, the free-kick taker needs to have enough height and curl on the ball to get it over the wall and sufficient dip to beat the goalkeeper. That is especially true for free-kicks close to the penalty box.
For those from further out, the free-kick taker needs to add pace as well as swerve on the ball apart from the other aforementioned requirements.
Over the years, there have been several fine free-kick takers who have graced the beautiful game. These players include not only attackers and midfielders, but also defenders and even goalkeepers.
On that note, here's a look at the twelve players with the most free-kicks in the game's recorded history. Without further ado, let's get started:
#12 Cristiano Ronaldo - 57
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of only two active players to make this list. Widely regarded as one of the best players to have graced the game, the 36-year-old has scored goals galore.
A free-kick specialist, Ronaldo especially thrives on scoring from far out rather than from close to the box. Although his free-kick scoring prowess has seemingly dwindled in recent years, Ronaldo remains a threat from dead-ball situations.
Lionel Messi is now level with Cristiano Ronaldo in career free kick goals (57) in all competitions across club & country 👀
(h/t OPTA) https://t.co/4915WTYI4l
Ronaldo primarily uses the knuckleball technique to take free-kicks, employing very little side spin to enable the airflow surrounding the ball to guide its trajectory. The combination of pace, absence of spin and unpredictable trajectory makes Ronaldo's free-kicks very difficult to save for goalkeepers.
Most of Ronaldo's free-kicks have come for Real Madrid (32), with 13 coming for his current club Manchester United.
#11 Lionel Messi - 58
Lionel Messi, like Ronaldo, has scored over 50 goals for club and country from direct free-kicks.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner's free-kick-taking ability is a relatively new addition to his arsenal. But Messi has scored exactly 50 free-kicks in club football, all for Barcelona and another eight for Argentina. Almost half of these strikes have come in the last five seasons alone.
All of Lionel Messi's free kick goals 🎯 https://t.co/XggOxeEhHe
Messi employs a novel 'sprained-ankle' technique to hit free-kicks. That enables him to impart enough spin and curl on the ball to avoid the wall and beat the goalkeeper.
Earlier this year, the Argentine brought up his 650th Barcelona goal with a sumptuous free-kick, his 49th for the club. In the past five seasons, Messi has scored at least ten more free-kicks than any player in Europe's top five leagues.
#10 Marcelinho Carioca - 59
Former Brazilian attacking midfielder Marcelinho Carioca is one of a handful of players to have scored over 50 free-kicks in his career.
He played over 300 career matches in five different countries, but was largely an unknown entity outside Brazil. Carioca also played a few games for the Selecao, but never appeared at a major tournament.
Due to his free-kick prowess, he was nicknamed Pe de Anjo (Angel Foot). He scored many fabulous free-kicks during his career, but none more memorable than the one that sealed Corinthians' state title in 1995.
O #GolaçoDoDia é de 25 anos anos atrás. Em 02 de abril, Marcelinho fazia esse golaço do meio da rua contra o Palmeiras, em jogo válido pela primeira fase do @Paulistao de 1995, ano em que o Timão foi campeão! Quem aí lembra desse jogo?
📹 Band
#TBT
#VaiCorinthians https://t.co/G29SUmIrep
The translation of the tweet reads:
"O #GolaçoDoDia is 25 years ago. On April 2, Marcelinho scored that great goal in the middle of the street against Palmeiras, in a game valid for the first phase of the @Paulistao. 1995, the year that Timão were champion! Who out there remembers this game?"
Marcelinho, who also netted a few goals directly from corners, scored free-kicks from all types of distances and angles. He later said about his free-kick technique:
“The key is getting it on target and letting the ‘keeper deal with it. Repetition leads to perfection.”
#9 Ronald Koeman - 60
Current Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman is one of the game's premier goalscoring defenders.
In fact, with over 250 career goals, he is the most prolific goalscoring defender in football history. That's a tally most attackers, leave alone defenders, would be quite proud of.
Koeman was also a dead-ball specialist, netting 60 free-kick goals for club and country during his illustrious career. The Dutchman was an integral player in Barcelona's Dream Team in the early 90s, striking up a key partnership with Pep Guardiola.
Ronald Koeman scored the lone goal from a free-kick in the 1992 Champions League final against Sampdoria. The dead-ball effort sealed Barcelona's first major continental title.
Goal 138: Ronald Koeman vs Sampdoria, 1992. #Greatest90sGoals https://t.co/LEfkZXpmIr
Koeman mixed guile with precision to score most of his free-kicks. He also scored a few key penalties during his career.