Receiving fouls, especially on the edge of the area, never an option to prevent them. Leaving them alone, face to face before the ball unopposed, is always a risk because there, at the exact point where they want to send the ball, they place it with a high percentage of success. It’s hard to gauge who has been the best free-kick takeer in football history and for different tastes, but judging by the objectivity of numbers, this will be the top-10.
1
Zico
101 goals
His right hand placed it at any angle. Gone are the days of Zico, who between 1971 and 1994 entertained his fans and teammates at Flamengo, Udinese, Kashima and the Brazilian team, but if we examine the numbers, the Brazilian is the best pitcher in history with 101 goals from direct free kicks, although with an asterisk. He himself said he got a hundred, even though other statistics put the number down to 62. We have to trust his word …
two
Juninho Pernambuco
76 goals
It is impossible not to associate his name with direct free kicks. Regardless of the distance, Juninho Pernambucano telegraphed the trajectory of the ball with the correct height and placed it. The Brazilian has scored 76 free-kick goals in his career, 44 of which have been there lions which unparalleled dominated the French league between 2002 and 2008 with seven titles. He has never been able to take advantage of the midfielder’s supernatural accuracy to get past the quarterfinals in the Champions League.
3
Si Pele
70 goals
Of course, another Brazilian has to close the podium. O’Rei he leads the ball in every way and he also gave it the right position and power when he stopped it to convert direct free kicks, up to 70. Santos and the Brazilian team, where he has been the only player so far who won three World Cups, are the great beneficiaries of this striker’s art.
4
Victor Legrotaglie
66 goals
Another very ‘vintage’ player, and from Pelé’s generation, who was born just three years ago, in 1937. The set pieces were candy for him and he tasted up to 66 goals from the direct free kick, that he is still the Argentine with the highest score in this facet in the absence of being caught Messi. He built his entire career in Argentina between Gymnastics and Fencing, Chacarita Juniors and Atlético Argentino along with other teams.
5
Ronaldinho
66 goals
He dropped from his best level soon and at 28 years old he had forgotten Ronaldinho who was largely amazed between 2005 and 2006 but still managed to reach 66 free -kick goals –19 with Barca-, and close the top-5. His creativity is limitless and, at Barça, he surprised goalkeepers on several occasions with a superficial foul like the one he endorsed. Werder Bremen in a match that qualified Barça for the round of 16 of the 06-07 Champions League. In delirium, gave the victory against Real Sociedad in the last minute in 03-04.
6
david beckham
65 goals
Football is sometimes casually volatile and after Ronaldinho came the star who in this case signed with Madrid as well. summer 2003 and where Barça also bid. He had the glove without a doubt and scored 65 goals from a direct free kick to stay just one behind the Brazilian but also in this aspect Barça club are better at signing ‘Dinho’ than ‘Becks’: Just 7 goals from this method as white for Ronaldinho’s 19 at Barça.
7
Diego Armando Maradona
62 goals
‘Fluff’ has all the tributes and we should remember that, like his successor, he also did what he wanted on the ball set and retired with 62 points from the direct free kick. The most memorable, one that marked him with Naples of Juventus in the 85-86 season. More than because of the distance-within the area-, because of the impossible angle he gave when he drew the impossible parabola on the short stick. It is in this case an indirect free kick but it is worth remembering because his parable goes on without explanation other than Maradona.
8
ronald koeman
60 goals
As a great overall football player according to Cruyff, Koeman is known not only for helping avoid goals as a defender but also for putting it up and celebrating 60 fouls in his career. Whether he is a Barça fan or not, it is impossible to say which shot Ronald remembers the most. Shot in the final of 1992 European Cup against Sampdoria -although it wasn’t direct-, he didn’t draw too much parabola but it was the perfect one to avoid Pagliuca’s pigeon and be immortal. converted 26 foul parang azulgrana.
9
Rogerio Ceni
59 goals
There has never been a goalkeeper who has had so much work in the opponent’s area other than himself and the Brazilian international has retired as the highest scoring goalkeeper in history with 113 goals, 59 of those were free kicks that put him in the historical top-10. Every goal of his direct free kick is another peculiarity in the world of football, in addition, of course, to a comfort for his coach at the end of the game if he does not send it. He spent his entire career in Sgoodbye Paul between 1993 and 2015.
10
Marcelinho Carioca
59 goals
One Brazilian opens the list and another closes in the top-10. Although he is less known in the top 10, Carioca, who has scored 59 free-kick goals in his career, had an ephemeral spell in Valencia in the 97-98 season, despite only playing five games. The midfielder has developed a large part of his career in Brazil with the Corinthians. His skill in free kicks inspired him Marcos Assuncao.
Eleven
Leo Messi
58 goals
The best free-kick takeer in recent seasons has barely made it into the top-10 with 58 goals, 50 of them with Barça. The acts of desperation of rival coaches when one of their players gives a direct free kick to the front, even if he puts them from as far away as the one who promised to Liverpool in the semifinals of the 2019 Champions despite the dramatic end of that tie. He has only scored one this season in a final year of difficult adaptation at PSG due to injuries, but his latest performances indicate there is a long way to go and you can continue to fatten your numbers.
twenty-one
Cristiano Ronaldo
57 goals
In second place out of the top-10 and, very close to Messi, just one goal away at 57, he was followed by Cristiano, who again celebrated with United in April two years later a free-kick goal, a facet with which he has lost touch over time. The Argentine’s reliability is higher than that of a Christian who, with his ambition and impressive physical condition, can continue to score goals from set pieces despite his 37 years. His personal seal, his former position to throw his legs spread and that dizzying effect where the ball, which barely rotates on its own, suddenly falls and is painful for the goalkeepers. The other masters of this art who did not make it into the top-10 by numbers but deserve to be remembered are Roberto Carlos, Andrea Pirlo, Marcos Assunçao and Sinisa Mihajlovic.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
