Footballers with most free-kick goals ever, ft. Messi, Ronaldo, Pele & Maradona | OneFootball

Lionel Messi enjoyed a dream debut for Inter Miami.

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The Argentine was included in the Major League Soccer side's squad for the first time in their Leagues Cup clash against Cruz Azul at DRV PNK Stadium.

Messi was given a thunderous reception when he entered the fray just after half-time.

It looked as if Messi's first match for his new club would end in a draw with the scoreline locked at 1-1 deep into stoppage-time.

But he conjured up some magic to rescue his side with virtually the last kick of the game.

Inter Miami were given a free-kick roughly 25 yards out in the 94th minute.

Messi stepped up and his effort curled beautifully into the top corner. It was an exquisite goal and one that sent those inside the DRV PNK Stadium mad. View it below...

It was Messi's 63rd free-kick goal of his career. But how does his tally compare to the best free-kick takers in football history?

Back in 2021, The Sunnamed the footballers with the most free-kick goals ever.

We have updated their list following Messi's brilliance in his first outing for the MLS side. View it below...

12 Rogerio Ceni - 59

Ceni was a goalkeeper. We repeat: Ceni was a goalkeeper!

The Brazilian was a set-piece master who took both penalties and free-kicks. He hit the back of the net 131 times during his 22-year spell with Sao Paulo.

Ceni, who failed to score in his 17 appearances for Brazil, told ESPN's Gabriele Marcotti in 2005: "It's not even football. It's striking a ball. It's two things: physics, because you have to hit the ball properly, and psychology, because you have to know where to put it.

"And you have to remain calm. But many more people could do it, if only, like me, they had the courage [to try]."

11 Marcelinho Carioca - 59

Marcelinho spent most of his career in Brazil, He turned out for the likes of Flamengo, Corinthians, Santos and Vasco de Gama.

He told Globoesporte, per PlanetFootball: "The key is getting it on target and letting the ‘keeper deal with it. Repetition leads to perfection.”

10 Ronald Koeman - 60

Koeman's tally is extremely impressive given he was largely a defensive-minded player. He scored 239 career goals, meaning just over a quarter were from free kicks.

His most famous free-kick goal came in the 1992 European Cup final between Barcelona and Sampdoria.

The Dutchman's fierce effort in the 112th minute proved to be the difference and ensured Barca were crowned champions of Europe for the first time.

9 Cristiano Ronaldo - 60

Ronaldo scored an extraordinary amount of free-kicks using his knuckle ball technique towards the start of his career.

The Portuguese legend scored two free-kicks in the space of five days in March 2023.

He whacked one in for Al Nassr in their Saudi Pro League match against Abha before scoring another in Portugal's Euro 2024 qualifying match against Liechtenstein.

At the time of writing, per messivsronaldo.app, Ronaldo has scored a free-kick every 19.5 games during his career.

He is one of just two active players on the list. Ronaldo, now 38, could move into the top five before he hangs up his boots.

8 Zico - 62

Zico enjoyed an outstanding career. He is the fifth top goal scorer in Brazil's history, having hit the back of the net 48 times for his country.

"It's magic, because at that moment everybody is watching and waiting for you," Zico said of the anticipation that came before every free-kick he stood over, per Bleacher Report.

Zico's technique was simple - he would take a short run-up and often attempt to curl the ball over the wall and into the goal.

7 Diego Maradona - 62

Maradona could do almost everything with a football. He was a free-kick specialist among many other things.

Fernando Signorini, Argentina's fitness coach at the 2010 World Cup, revealed how Maradona helped Messi become the free-kick specialist he is today.

"In February 2009, just a few months after Maradona took over as coach of the national team, we played a friendly against a local team in Marseille," Signorini wrote in his biography, Call to Rebellion, per the Daily Mail.

"We practised the day before and, after the session, Javier Mascherano, Carlos Tevez and Messi stayed behind for shooting practice.

"Messi put the ball down and looked up at the goal slightly to his left. When he struck the ball it went some way over the bar to the goalkeeper's right.

"He was annoyed and headed towards the dressing room passing me as he went.

"I said, 'Are you going to go and shower after that rubbish? Stop getting annoyed, go and get a ball and try again'."

Signorini says Maradona overheard the conversation, put his arm around Messi's shoulder and gave his some advice.

"Don't hurry the shot so much, slow your swing down, because if not the ball does not know what you want it to do," Maradona is said to have told him.

Messi is up to sixth after his brilliance on his Inter Miami debut.

Speaking about his goal to Apple TV after the game, he said, per the Mirror: “What I saw was the goal. I saw the goal, I knew I had to score. It was the last play of the game, and I wanted to score so we didn’t go to penalties.

“It was very important for us to get this win because in the tournament it’s going to give us confidence moving forward.”

He's only a couple of free-kick goals away from breaking into the top three, but getting to first will be a very tough ask.

5 David Beckham - 65

Beckham is the most prolific free-kick taker from Europe in football history.

Arguably his most famous free-kick goal came for England against Greece in 2001.

The Three Lions needed at least a draw to qualify for the 2002 World Cup but were trailing 2-1 in injury time.

England were given a free-kick roughly 30 yards out with time rapidly running out. Beckham stepped up and he curled an unstoppable effort into the top corner.

4 Ronaldinho - 66

Arguably Ronaldinho's most famous free-kick came for Brazil against England at the 2002 World Cup.

Ronaldinho caught David Seaman - as well as everyone watching at home - off guard when he had a go from an acute angle. His effort looped over Seaman and into the top corner.

But did he mean it?

Ronaldinho told FIFA, per the Mirror: "When I hit the ball I wanted to shoot for goal - but maybe not exactly where the ball ended up. If I'm being totally honest, I was aiming for the other side of the net.

"You can't say that [it was a fluke] because I was aware of the 'keeper's position and went for the shot at goal. The fact that it did not go in exactly as I planned is secondary to the fact that I was having a go.

"What basically happened is that I hit my shot too hard and, as it travelled through the air, it swerved more and ended up looping over Seaman. There was nothing he could do about it and I suppose there was an element of luck involved... but a goal is a goal!"

3 Victor Legrottaglie - 66

Legrottaglie spent his whole career in Argentina. He never represented his country.

To have scored more free-kicks than Maradona and Beckham, as well as the same amount as Ronaldinho, is some achievement.

Pele's goal tally from free-kicks is yet another reminder of just how good he was.

The football legend had the ability to strike the ball into the back of the net with power while he could also bend the ball both ways.

1 Juninho Pernambucano - 77

Juninho is the free-kick GOAT (greatest of all-time), and that will remain the case for a long while yet.

He spoke about his prowess from free-kicks in an interview with FourFourTwo in 2018.

He said: "I was always great at shooting, but as a child I didn’t have enough power to score free-kicks.

"I played futsal until I was 13 and didn’t really score much, but it was around then that I started to take some free-kicks.

"The wall was too close, though, so it was rare that I’d hit the goal. It wasn’t until I got to France that I mastered my technique."

Despite his tally, Juninho doesn't think he's the greatest free-kick taker ever.

He added: "It’s nice to hear admiration, although I don’t really believe it – how can you measure that?

"What I feel is that my work was worth it. I gave everything I had – sometimes even more than my body could take.

"There’s only ever the best free-kick-taker of the moment, so maybe there was a moment in which I was the best at it, but that’s all. How can I claim that I’m any better than David Beckham or Sinisa Mihajlovic?"