{"id":43212,"date":"2025-07-29T11:23:34","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T10:23:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/?p=43212"},"modified":"2025-07-29T11:23:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T10:23:37","slug":"the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Free-Kick Takers in Football History: Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Image by Wikimedia Commons<\/strong> <strong>CC BY-SA 3.0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Free kicks in football come with a certain degree of theatre. A hush descends in the stands as defensive walls shift nervously, adjusting to their goalkeeper\u2019s directions. And then \u2013 crack \u2013 a violent whip of the taker\u2019s boot, a ball zipping through the air, the net ripples, the tension snaps and delirium ensues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best free kicks are bits of footballing artistry, where technique and audacity combine to produce spectacular moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The players who hit them best tend to become cult heroes, not just because they scored, but because they turned dead balls into live action, making fans feel like they were witnessing something timeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To honour those who wielded more dead-ball mastery than most, we\u2019ve ranked the best free-kick takers in football history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Andrea Pirlo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Midfield schemer Andrea Pirlo didn\u2019t hit free kicks, he painted them. The playmaker delivered precision strokes for club and country with the nonchalance of a man ordering an espresso in quiet a caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like the rest of his play, Pirlo approached free kicks with little drama. His mastery of the \u201cmaledetta\u201d \u2013 a dipping, weaving knuckleball \u2013 made him a deadly assassin from set pieces. His goals against Mexico (2013 Confederations Cup) and Croatia (Euro 2012) were an economy of motion and class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pirlo scored around 30 times directly from free kicks over the span on his career with the Italian national team, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Andrea Pirlo 45 Free Kick Goals\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bAfs042L3HY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Cristiano Ronaldo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>His free-kick stats have cooled off in recent years, however, veteran superstar Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s knuckleballs were once a headline act. The Portuguese attacker\u2019s gunslinger stance and dramatic intake of breath were iconic, as was his willingness to shoot from just about any distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was substance to go along with his pre-strike dramatics, however. Ronaldo\u2019s sledgehammer strike against Portsmouth in 2008 still rattles frames in the collective memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Manchester United in particular, he was a shock trooper and his Exocet missiles burst nets in the Premier and Champions League alike. Some of his efforts were wild, but when it worked, it wowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Cristiano Ronaldo - All 64 Free Kick Goals In Career (2003-2024)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tPQ9KwX18NE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Ronald Koeman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ronald Koeman had many top-class attributes; however, the \u201cblonde arrow\u201d was best known for his ability from dead balls. Koeman was a no-nonsense defender and an expert game-reading sweeper, but his eye-catching strikes from range were his show stoppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Koeman won a European Cup Final for Barcelona in 1992 with a sublime free kick goal against Sampdoria, though he did that sort of thing on the regular and the stats show that the Dutchman hit a mammoth 60 goals from free kicks during his pomp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, Koeman remains the all-time top-scoring defender in world football history with 253 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Ronald Koeman 35 Free Kick Goals\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tMkElwkZPyI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Sinisa Mihajlovic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sinisa Mihajlovic\u2019s hammer of a left foot produced free kicks that were like cannonballs dipped in a Molotov cocktail. The defender still holds the record in Italy\u2019s Serie A for most free-kick goals scored (28) and the Vukovar-born slugger once notched a hattrick of them in a single sitting for Lazio against Sampdoria in 1998.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While others went for subtlety, Mihajlovic embraced raw power and flat trajectory. He wasn\u2019t concerned about bending shots around a wall \u2013 he was happy to go through it. A product of Yugoslav grit and Italian steel, his set-pieces were consistently menacing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Sinisa Mihajlovic Best Freekick Goals\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ubfFz3AICTQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. David Beckham<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Often underrated as a footballing force, David Beckham was a sensational performer and few footballers have a greater association with free kicks than the former England international.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beckham was a dead-ball obsessive, who had practiced taking free kicks to the point of insanity as a developing kid. His dedication to the craft and his own unique technique made him absolutely deadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His free kicks were cinematic in style, with amazing whips and arcs that would leave ailing goalkeepers glued in position. &nbsp;Beckham\u2019s goal against Greece to earn World Cup qualification for the Three Lions was a seminal English football moment, though he has an equally fantastic catalogue at club level for Manchester United and Real Madrid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"David Beckham  All 56 Freekick Goals In Career\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V3eF-Fdo9Ck?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Zico<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Rolling back the years a little, we turn to Zico. Before the modern era, Zico was bending reality and defying physics with his free-kick acumen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nicknamed the \u201cWhile Pele\u201d (before Wayne Rooney was even born), Zico used short run-ups and deceptive body shapes to con keepers and he was able to find top corners from any distances with minimal back lift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zico\u2019s legacy is felt every time a current Brazilian star tries to channel a bit of his memory through their laces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Zico 45 Free kick Goals\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sdn69PAi6lM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Ronaldinho<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ronaldinho will always be remembered with fondness for the expression and sheer joy he put into every touch. The enigmatic Brazilian approached his free kicks with typical imagination and could hurt opponents from dead balls in any number of ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From no-look free kicks and quick-thinking daisy cutters under walls to curling efforts from wide areas and pinpoint finishes, Ronaldinho could do it all. He was a risk-taker who put street football cunning into his set plays and his tally of 55 goals from free kicks points to his potency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Ronaldinho \u25cf All 66 Free Kick Goals in Career\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N7w6D7Sr864?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Rogerio Ceni<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A legend of domestic football in Brazil, <a href=\"https:\/\/thesefootballtimes.co\/2019\/07\/26\/rogerio-ceni-the-goalkeeper-who-scored-132-goals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni<\/a> was both a shot-stopper and a shot-taker during his epic career with his beloved Sao Paulo between 1993 and 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ceni was an accomplished keeper who won 17 caps for Brazil, though his prowess during set pieces was phenomenal. The net minder scored a gigantic 130 goals during his career and 59 of those efforts were delivered directly from free kicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unsurprisingly, Ceni ranks as the top-scoring goalkeeper of all time \u2013 by quite a distance \u2013 with the Brazilian scoring almost twice as many as his nearest competitor, Paraguayan star Jose Luis Chilavert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Rogerio Ceni All 60 Free Kick Goals In Career\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Aj4EWpxbm8Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Lionel Messi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Because he is so good at\u2026.well\u2026.virtually everything else, Lionel Messi\u2019s quality from free kicks tends to go a little under the radar. With the Argentinean, subtlety and precision are usually applied like an elite violinist striking the perfect note under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Messi is accurate enough to hit a laser dot on the horizon, so he rarely has to opt for power to send free kicks past goalkeepers. The diminutive attacker has whispered half a century of goals over walls and into top corners and his tally is likely to climb higher before he eventually calls time on his incredible career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A favourite with anytime goalscorer punters on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/football\/\">best online football betting sites<\/a>, Messi\u2019s magical left foot still has the power to turn a game on its head, particularly from dangerous positions around the edge of the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Lionel MESSI top-30 free kick Goals\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pNsR5K3ahII?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Juninho Pernambucano<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask any football fan to name the best free-kick taker of all time and Juninho will come into the reckoning. The Brazilian maestro could make the ball float, dip, swerve and plunge like a leaf caught in a storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Proximity was never an issue, Juninho treated 40-yard punts like tap ins and he was one of the pioneers of the knuckleball technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His YouTube highlight reel features one logic-defying strike after another. The former Lyon midfielder remains a reference point for players in the modern era who are keen to hone their own free-kick-taking craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the statistics, Juninho Pernambucano hit 77 career free-kick goals for club and country, making him football\u2019s most effective weapon ever from dead balls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Juninho Top 13 Ridiculous Free Kick Goals That No One Expected\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_B3KW_8jofc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the greatest free-kick takers in football history, from Juninho Pernambucano and David Beckham to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Explore their iconic goals, unique techniques, and lasting legacies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":43213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Best Free-Kick Takers in Football History: Ranked - MansionBet Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the greatest free-kick takers in football history, from Juninho Pernambucano and David Beckham to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Explore their iconic goals, unique techniques, and lasting legacies.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Best Free-Kick Takers in Football History: Ranked - MansionBet Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover the greatest free-kick takers in football history, from Juninho Pernambucano and David Beckham to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Explore their iconic goals, unique techniques, and lasting legacies.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MansionBet Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-29T10:23:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-29T10:23:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/The-Best-Free-Kick-Takers-in-Football-History.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1161\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"561\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Simon Winter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SWinterMedia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Simon Winter\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Simon Winter\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2a38db8a775039f30b88d0d4b1463e6d\"},\"headline\":\"The Best Free-Kick Takers in Football History: Ranked\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-29T10:23:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-29T10:23:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/\"},\"wordCount\":1298,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/The-Best-Free-Kick-Takers-in-Football-History.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Football\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/\",\"name\":\"The Best Free-Kick Takers in Football History: Ranked - MansionBet Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/the-best-free-kick-takers-in-football-history-ranked\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/The-Best-Free-Kick-Takers-in-Football-History.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-29T10:23:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-29T10:23:37+00:00\",\"description\":\"Discover the greatest free-kick takers in football history, from Juninho Pernambucano and David Beckham to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. 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