The 7 players with the most free-kick goals in history: Messi above Beckham, Ronaldo…
Free-kicks are one area that’s open to debate when it comes to the age-old Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo squabble, with a hair’s breadth between them when it comes to goals scored directly from the dead-ball situations.
Interestingly, the two era-defining icons still have some way to go if they’re to be considered the greatest free-kick takers of all time.
We’ve taken a closer look at the record books and have found the seven players with the most free-kick goals in football history to see where the two GOATs rank.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo – 64
While the 39-year-old tends to be pretty hit-and-miss with free-kicks these days, he was an absolute master of dead-ball situations during his prime years.
The Portuguese icon mastered the knuckleball technique during his final years with Manchester United with arguably his most famous free-kick coming against Portsmouth back in 2008.
Even in the twilight years of his career, he still manages to stick a free-kick top bins every now and again. During 2024 alone, he’s already scored three direct free-kicks which is decent going.
6. David Beckham – 65
A whole generation of kids grew up idolising the former England captain, in large part thanks to his dead ball heroics – just ask his anointed successor James Ward-Prowse.
“I copied a few of his hairstyles along the way. I went for the Mohican, the grade two all over,” Ward-Prowse told Sky Sports in 2023.
“To emulate him in that way with the No 7 [at West Ham] is a good opportunity as he was someone I emulated growing up in the garden. It was just in general, the way that he was. I would watch his game on the TV live and I would be straight out in the garden trying to perfect it, shouting ‘Beckham!'”
The Nottingham Forest midfielder is only one direct free-kick goal behind Beckham when it comes the Premier League, but he’s got a long way to go if he’s to ever match him in terms of the overall tally.
=3. Lionel Messi – 66
Messi managed to pull one ahead of Beckham recently as Inter Miami secured the Supporters’ Shield with an emphatic 3-2 triumph over Columbus Crew.
Unbelievably, he’s now scored the same number of free kicks since the start of 2018 (32) as he has penalties. The guy is an absolute menace from dead-ball situations.
His free-kick prowess hasn’t dwindled in his later years and we wouldn’t be surprised if he manages to climb a few places on this list before he retires.
=3. Ronaldinho – 66
No wonder Messi got so good at free-kicks, given that Brazilian Ballon d’Or winner took him under his wing when he was at the peak of his powers at Barcelona. That must’ve been some education on the training pitch, not to mention midfield technicians like Xavi and Iniesta and other fearsome forwards like Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry.
While Beckham’s most memorable free-kick came for England, qualifying them for the 2002 World Cup with his last-gasp winner against Greece, Ronaldinho’s came against Beckham’s Three Lions at the tournament itself.
Two decades later and it remains up for debate whether he meant to lob David Seaman, but the official Planet Football line is of course he did. He’s Ronaldinho ffs.
=3. Victor Legrottaglie – 66
Joint alongside Ronaldinho and Messi in the all-time rankings is the lesser-known Argentinian midfielder Legrottaglie, who played for a number of clubs in his home country between 1953 and 1976 but never received an international cap.
Not only was he famous for his free-kick ability, but he was also a wizard at corners, having reportedly scored 12 Olimpico during his playing career.
Mendoza-based lower-league club Gimnasia y Esgrima named their stadium in his honour. He died at the age of 86 earlier this year.
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2. Pele – 70
Estimates vary on exactly how many goals the three-time World Cup winner scored in his legendary career, but it’s believed
Want to know how to take free-kicks like the master himself? Luckily enough he passed along his pearls of wisdom before he died.
“Taking a free kick needs a certain cunning,” Pele explains.
“If, for example, the free kick is taken on the left-hand side of the box, it is better to take it with your right foot, and vice versa. Just before kicking the ball, have a careful look at the position of the goalkeeper and the wall.
“Check if there are any ‘holes’ in the wall, or whether perhaps one of the players in the wall is shorter than the others, thus enabling you to send the ball over his head, etc.
“If there is a wind, check in which direction it is blowing. To ascertain the direction of the wind, just look to see which way any flags or banners are blowing.”
1. Juninho Pernambucano – 77
Beating Pele to the top spot is another Brazilian.
Juninho Pernambucano might not quite occupy the same exalted status of the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Pele but he firmly belongs in the cult hero category – in large part thanks to his unparalleled free-kick ability.
The midfielder scored exactly 100 Ligue 1 goals during his peak years at Lyon, winning the title in seven of eight seasons, with his ridiculous ability to strike the ball into the back of the net from distance so often a cheat code that made the difference in tight games.
There was a time in which Juninho’s mythical record looked under threat from Messi and Ronaldo, but as they wind down their careers it looks less and less likely that they’ll quite manage to make up the gap. Stranger things have happened, though.