Free kicks are among the most creative options that footballers use when unlocking opposition defences and imposing themselves on the latter. These chances usually come when one of them has been fouled just outside the penalty box of their opponents, and a dead-ball situation arises.
Most creative footballers look forward to such situations as it allows them to test their skills against the best defenders in the world. The latter try to create a ‘wall’ in which they line up side-by-side and prevent the ball from going through directly to their goalkeeper.
However, top free-kick takers beat this wall by getting the ball to jump high above and then curve into the back of the net. When taken well, a free kick is among the most poetic and beautiful aspects of football.
In this article, we take a look at the players who have scored the most number of free kicks in football history:
1. Juninho Pernambucano
The greatest free-kick taker in the world has to be Juninho Pernambucano, who scored 77 goals from dead-ball situations. Although Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still playing, it seems highly unlikely that anyone will take over Juninho when it comes to beating this record.
The Brazilian scored a total of 179 goals in his senior career, which means that a whopping 43 per cent of them came from free-kick situations.
2. Pele
Pele, widely considered to be the best footballer ever, comes second on this list. This legendary Brazilian, who passed away at the age of 82 in 2022, was known to dominate opposition defences with several different tricks.
He was just as good in open play as he was with free kicks, as is shown by the 70 goals he scored from the latter situations. 10.2 per cent of his total goals came from free kicks.
3. Victor Legrotaglie
Victor Legrotatglie was an Argentine footballer who plied his trade in the mid-twentieth century. He was known to be among the most stylish and elegant footballers of his generation with a penchant for free kicks.
His career spanned from 1953 to 1976, and he scored a whopping 66 goals from free kicks during this. He comes third on our list. He is still widely respected in his country, where football is akin to a religion.
4. Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho, widely rated to be among the best footballers on the planet, is next on this list. The crafty Brazilian was exquisite with the ball at his feet and was renowned for taking defenders on in one-on-one situations and beating them comprehensively.
Among Ronaldinho’s greatest qualities was his ability to get the ball to curve when passing aerially. He scored a total of 66 goals from free-kicks, the same number as Legrotaglie and Messi.
5. Lionel Messi
The legendary Lionel Messi, who now plies his trade for Inter Miami in the USA, is on this list for scoring 66 goals from free kicks in his career.
The diminutive Argentine, who became famous by playing for Barcelona in his star-studded career, eventually moved to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2022 and later to the USA.
Messi is one of the most gifted players on the planet, and rated by many to be the best to have ever played the sport.
6. David Beckham
England and Manchester United legend David Beckham comes sixth on this list for scoring 65 of his 114 goals from free-kicks.
Indeed, Beckham was the player most youngsters looked up to when practicing dead-ball situation as he had the God-given talent to get the ball to curve at unnatural angles even when he had seemingly hit it flat and straight.
57 per cent of the United, and later Real Madrid, star’s goals came from free kicks, which is a mind-blowing statistic.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi’s perennial rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, also proclaimed by many to be the best player to have ever played this sport, comes seventh on this list. His claim to fame is the 64 goals he has scored so far in his career from free kicks.
However, since Ronaldo is still playing, this number is expected to grow. The 40-year-old keeps hustling and is now plying his trade for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. Along with free kicks, Ronaldo has the ability to get the ball into the back of the net from most unnatural angles in open play as well.
8. Diego Maradona
The late Diego Maradona, revered and respected by scores of football fans for almost single-handedly winning Argentina the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, comes eighth on this list. He scored a stunning total of 62 goals from free kicks in his career.
The former Napoli star is most widely remembered for a free kick he scored over Juventus in 1985, which beat the wall and managed to go over into the top-right corner of goalkeeper Stefano Tacconi’s net.
9. Zico
Brazil legend Zico is another player who was a specialist with free kicks. He ended his career with 62 strikes from dead-ball situations, the number as Maradona.
Zico is most widely remembered for the curler he struck against Scotland in Brazil’s 4-1 win in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. The elegant, easygoing and almost laidback style of his free-kicks made Zico a huge favourite among fans of all hues and colours.
10. Ronald Koeman
Former Barcelona, Everton and Southampton coach Ronald Koeman, who is in charge of the Netherlands’ national team at the moment, comes tenth on this list thanks to the 60 free kicks he scored in his career that spanned from 1980 to 1997.
Despite being a defender, Koeman was successful at taking free kicks, with an astonishing 29.1 per cent of his goals coming via free kicks.
Very few people who followed the classic Real Madrid – Barcelona derbies in the 1990s will forget his powerful strike bent into the corner in Barca’s 5-0 win over their foes in 1994.
