Taking free kicks is an art that has been mastered by very few players over the years. Every dead ball situation creates an opportunity to witness a moment of magic both for the fans and the players. The only question that remains is how much consistent can a player be. Here, we are going to look at the top 10 players with the most free-kick goals in football history.
Know more about the Top 10 players with the most free-kick goals in football history
10. Marcelinho Carioca – 59 goals
Nicknamed as the “Pe-de-Anjo” (Angel Foot), the Brazilian attacking midfielder is one of the few players to score over 50 free-kick goals in his career. He spent most of his career in Corinthians, scoring 206 goals in 420 matches. Marcelinho has won more trophies with them than any other player in their history. The most memorable free-kick in his career would be the one in 1995, that sealed the Corinthians state title.
9. Ronald Koeman – 60 goals
Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman is widely regarded as the defender with the most offensive abilities. Over 250 career goals, the Dutch international had a very successful club career in the Netherlands as well as Barcelona too. Koeman was also known as the dead-ball specialist, scoring 60 goals from the spot.
8. Rogerio Ceni – 61 goals
It may sound strange for many, Rogerio Ceni being a goalkeeper, has a tally of 131 goals in his career. The Sao Paulo man scored a maximum no. of goals from free-kicks and penalties with only one goal coming from open play. A set-piece specialist, his 61 goals are regarded as a legendary feat considering the fact that he was a goalkeeper.
Also read: Different Types Of Kicks In Football
7. Zico – 62 goals
Very often referred to as the “White Pele” in Brazilian football, the creative midfielder scored over 500 goals in his career both for club and country. Zico is one of the finest dead-ball specialists. His accuracy and ability to bend the ball made him one of the greatest of all time. One of the memorable moments in Zico’s career was that he scored a hat-trick of free-kicks in a match for Udinese in Serie A.
6. Diego Maradona – 62 goals
It’s so natural to see the Argentine’s name in this list, given his exploits in the game. The late world cup winner was known for his prolific technique and accuracy in dead-ball situations. The Napoli legend was a magician with the ball at his feet. His exceptional dribbling, passing, and leadership on the pitch are unmatched to many.
5. David Beckham – 65 goals
One of the best Englishmen in the sport, Beckham is known for his passing and crossing abilities. But his eye for the goal from set-pieces is a truly gifted talent. He is the only Englishmen to win league titles in four countries. The most significant free-kick of Beckham’s career was the one against Greece in the ending stages of the match. It resulted in England winning the match and going into the finals of World cup 2002.
4. Ronaldinho – 66 goals
Another Brazilian whose magic on the pitch left the defenders bamboozled. With all other talents like shooting, dribbling, passing, and crossing Ronaldinho excelled in free-kicks too. The World cup winner brought in a lot of trickery in his game and always left his oppositions guessing. His free-kick duties consisted of different variations, like curling over the wall or knuckleball or under the wall.
Also read: Top 5 Greatest Penalty Takers Of All Time
3. Victor Legrotaglie – 66 goals
Victor Legrotaglie is one of the least known players. Spending his whole career in his native Argentina, Victor is way ahead of sensational players like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Maradona, etc. in free-kick-taking talents. He turned down different illustrious offers from clubs like Juventus and Real Madrid in his career.
2. Pele – 70 goals
On the second spot, we have none other than the legendary Brazilian Pele. He excelled in every area of the sport. Out of his 765 goals, 70 sensational free-kicks were scored. The three-time world cup winner used different techniques in his set-piece duties and a lot of pace on the ball resulting in less swerve. One of his memorable free-kick goals was against Romania in the 1970 world cup.
1. Juninho Pernambucano – 77 goals
On the top of the list, we have Juninho Pernambucano with 77 free-kick goals. One of the greatest free-kick takers of all time, he had an array of techniques for every type of dead-ball situation. He was the first player to invent the Knuckleball technique for long-range free-kicks. The former Lyon player made the ball swerve too much in the air, making the goalkeeper guess. Out of 77 goals, 44 goals were scored in Ligue 1 with Olympique Lyon.
Top 10 players with most free-kick goals in football history-
| RANK | PLAYER’S NAME | FREE-KICK GOALS |
| 1 | Juninho Pernambucano | 77 |
| 2 | Pele | 70 |
| 3 | Victor Legrotaglie | 66 |
| 4 | Ronaldinho | 66 |
| 5 | David Beckham | 65 |
| 6 | Diego Maradona | 62 |
| 7 | Zico | 62 |
| 8 | Rogerio Ceni | 61 |
| 9 | Ronald Koeman | 60 |
| 10 | Marcelinho Carioca | 59 |
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