From Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to Pele and David Beckham – the top ten highest free-kick scorers ever
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Football offers a variety of challenges on the pitch, and taking a free-kick is one of the toughest of them all.
Guiding the ball over the wall with enough power and accuracy to beat the goalkeeper is an art form and one that looks sensational when pulled off.
Some of the best goals in highlight montages down the years have come from free-kicks.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the top two goalscorers of all-time so it’s no surprise to learn they love scoring free-kicks.
Brazilian legends Pele and Ronaldinho also mastered the craft during their careers.
David Beckham is England’s greatest ever set-piece taker and his famous strike against Greece in 2001 will live long in the memory.
But who has scored the most? talkSPORT.com looks at the top ten highest free-kick scorers ever.
Rogerio Ceni (Career: 1990-2015 | 61)
Many would assume that free-kicks should be taken by outfield players but legendary Sao Paulo goalkeeper Ceni was most certainly one to disprove that notion.
Out of the incredible 131 goals he scored during his career, 61 of those came as free-kicks, with the Brazilian boasting a keen eye for goal from range alongside his ability in between the sticks.
Ceni can be regarded as a footballing phenomenon as no goalkeeper has since been able to replicate his efforts, and it’s unlikely that his record will ever be broken.
Diego Maradona (Career: 1976-1994 | 62)
An Argentinian legend, Maradona was well-known for his amazing dribbling and skill on the ball, dancing through defences like they weren’t even there.
But he also had a knack for scoring free-kicks, with his left foot proving too much for goalkeepers to handle during his illustrious career that included a famous World Cup win in 1986.
In total, Maradona scored 62 of them, with Barcelona, Napoli and Argentina all benefiting from the star quality of one of football’s most highly regarded talents.
Zico (Career: 1971-1994 | 62)
Zico is one of the greatest attacking midfielders of all-time, the somewhat perfect example of a true No. 10 behind the striker.
His possessed an incredibly effective free-kick technique that saw the ball fly high over the wall but dip in enough time to fly into the back of the net, leaving many stunned with such ability.
The Brazilian legend netted from a dead-ball situation 62 times, with goalkeepers finding it incredibly difficult to face one of his strikes from range.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Career: 2002-present | 64)
With a trademark pose and immense power in his foot, Ronaldo is one of football’s most prominent free-kick takers in history and continues to score his wondrous efforts today.
He has so far netted 64 goals from set-pieces across his spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al Nassr.
Ronaldo’s success from free-kicks has dipped in recent years but with the 39-year-old still scoring for fun, fans could be set to see him increase his tally even further in the coming months.
David Beckham (Career: 1992-2013 | 65)
A Manchester United and England legend, Beckham stunned fans with his immense ability of curling crosses into the box and onto their intended targets with precision.
He also did the same from free-kick situations and scored on 65 occasions, with such a tally making him one of the very best the sport has ever seen.
Beckham’s goal against Greece in 2001, a curling strike from around 30 yards out into the top-left corner to send England to the 2002 World Cup, is arguably the most iconic of them all.
Lionel Messi (Career: 2003-present | 66)
Like his modern day counterpart Ronaldo, Messi is also well-known for being clinical with free-kicks and doing so on the big occasion.
During his stunning career so far he has scored 66 of them, with the goals coming for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina.
This number comes as no surprise, with Messi’s ability to curl strikes into the top corners with his left foot one of the biggest qualities he has on an extensive list of talents.
Victor Legrotaglie (Career: 1953-1976 | 66)
A former midfielder, Legrotaglie spent the entirety of his playing career in his home country of Argentina.
He played from the 1950s through until the mid-1970s, with the majority of his time being spent at his local club Gimnasia y Esgrima.
Many modern fans may not know be aware of who he is but with 66 free-kicks scored, he sits ahead of his more-illustrious countryman Maradona.
Ronaldinho (Career: 1998 – 2015 | 66)
Ronaldinho was a dazzling player to watch, with his flair and skill some of the best anyone has ever seen in the game.
The former attacking midfielder scored 66 free-kick goals during his career, with those coming at sides including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil.
England goalkeeping icon David Seaman knows all too well about Ronaldinho’s quality as he was caught out by a looping strike that flew into the top-left corner at the 2002 World Cup.
Pele (Career: 1956-1977 | 70)
Fellow Brazil legend Pele is firmly named as one of the greatest players of all time given his sheer mastery on the ball.
Throughout his 21-year career for Santos, New York Cosmos and Brazil, in which he is estimated to have scored a staggering 1,279 goals, he netted 70 goals from free-kicks.
One of those in particular made history, as his free-kick against Bulgaria in the 1966 World Cup made him the first player to score in three successive tournaments.
Juninho Pernambucano (Career: 1993-2013 | 77)
At the top of the illustrious list of successful free-kick takers is yet another Brazilian icon, with former Vasco da Gama and Lyon star Juninho leading the way on 77.
He was well-known for striking the ball into the back of the net on numerous occasions with the knuckleball technique, one that made shots so unpredictable.
Even Oliver Khan, one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time, could do little to stop Juninho’s stunning free-kick for Lyon in the Champions League in 2003.
