Top 10 Best Free Kick Takers in Football (Soccer)

The Top Ten

Juninho Pernambucano

Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Júnior, commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a retired Brazilian footballer. He served as the sporting director of the French club Olympique Lyonnais from 2019 to 2021. A dead-ball specialist, he was especially renowned for his bending free kicks using the... read more

Juninho is one of the only players to score more than 40 free kicks in his career (Beckham was in the 30s). Not only is that impressive, but some of the spots he managed to score from were way outside the box. Talk about power and dipping skills. If the question was, "who puts the craziest curve on the ball during a free kick," then Beckham rules all day. Juninho was the most effective, and his statistics prove that.

Juninho is by far the best free-kick taker in the world, and this is due to range and consistency. The technique used for most of his styles is the knuckleball technique with topspin. This is one of the hardest techniques to master when striking the ball. Juninho's use of this technique has seen him beat some of the world's finest keepers, making some of them look like amateurs.
David Beckham

David Robert Joseph Beckham (born May 2, 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF, and co-owner of Salford City. He played for Manchester United (including a loan to Preston North End), Real Madrid, AC Milan (on loan), LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain... read more

He's one of the most famous soccer players ever. First, because he's handsome and looks good. And second, because he scores goals from far away. This English player is the master of the midfield position. He played for Manchester United, PSG, Los Angeles Galaxy, etc., and he's the highest-paid player and one of the sexiest players ever. He's also the richest player ever.
Additionally, he and his kids had a golden liquid splashed on their faces at the Disney awards.

How is he number 2? Come on, guys. There is a movie called Bend it like Beckham, all because of him. And why is Andrea Pirlo not in the top ten? He is definitely better than Messi at free kicks. Messi is a dribbler and someone who chips it over the goalie and makes the entire other team look pathetic with his awesomeness, but he doesn't even take free kicks for Barcelona. Xavi does.
Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born February 5, 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and captains the Portugal national team. He has collected five prestigious Ballon d'Or awards and countless major trophies over his storied career... read more

Ronaldo is simply prolific when it comes to set pieces. He has scored more than 50 free kicks throughout his career. The pace, power, and swerve are what make him so feared and set him apart from all other set piece specialists.
He is simply the greatest and most consistent footballer of his decade. He is football himself and is light years ahead of anyone playing the sport.

He is an active legend. There is nothing this man can't do. At times, he tries to put too much power into the free kick, causing him to miss occasionally, but when he hits the ball well, no one can stop the kick.
He is, in my opinion, the best active free-kick taker and definitely in the top 5 of all-time FK takers, if not top 3. By the end of his career, as he gains a bit more intelligence in FK and any other situation, I believe he can be the greatest of all time and the greatest free-kick taker.
Roberto Carlos

Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha, born on April 10, 1973, is a retired Brazilian footballer who now works as a football ambassador. Although he started his career in Brazil as a forward, he became internationally recognized as a left back.... read more

Come on, guys, Roberto Carlos had a free kick that could go faster than a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Formula 1 car, etc. If his free kicks were on target (which most of the time they were), it was almost certain to be a goal. Roberto Carlos also created probably the hardest free-kick style to do but arguably the most effective. He hits the ball with the outside of his foot to make the ball look like it's going out, but it curves back into the goal. Spectacular!

Roberto Carlos curves the ball when he shoots a free kick. In a 1997 match against France, he took an incredible long-distance shot. The ball curved around the jumping players and just chipped over the goalkeeper, leading to a one-nil victory for Brazil thanks to that amazing goal.
Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, born March 21, 1980, is better known by his nickname Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho. He is a Brazilian former professional footballer and a current ambassador for FC Barcelona.
He primarily played as an attacking midfielder but was also effective as a winger. Ronaldinho... read more

Here are the facts: Beckham may have a bit more skill than Ronaldinho, but he can't curl a ball into a goal like Ronaldinho can. Ronnie can do it from anywhere on the pitch. He scored an incredible goal against England in the 2002 World Cup, from at least 35-40 meters away from the goal. In contrast, Beckham usually takes them from about 25-30 meters. If it's farther than that, Madrid will call on Roberto Carlos to power-shot one into the goal.
Also, in the year Barcelona won the Champions League (the 2005-2006 season), Ronnie and Barca played against the Italian team Udinese. Ronaldinho scored a hat trick from three direct free kicks. If you don't believe me, check the statistics yourself.
Diego Maradona

Diego Armando Maradona (October 30, 1960 - November 25, 2020) was an Argentine professional footballer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award. Maradona was nicknamed "El Pibe de Oro... read more

There's nothing to say. He is simply the greatest of all time - magic. Go and see all his goals, and you'll understand why he was the best.

I'm speechless for this player. He's not human, but he's a God.
Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo, born on May 19, 1979, is an Italian former professional footballer and current football manager. He retired from playing in January 2018 after an illustrious career as a central midfielder, primarily with AC Milan and Juventus, and was also a key player for the Italy national team. After... read more

Pirlo played with AC Milan and Juventus in his career. He's considered the best Italian free kick taker ever, surpassing Alessandro Del Piero. He served as the captain of AC Milan and was a leading figure in every team he joined, embodying the role of a king.
He led AC Milan to win three Italian titles and similarly led Juventus to three Italian titles. He's also one of the players with the most caps in Italy.

He was my favorite midfielder, and in FIFA 11, he was supposed to be a good free-kick taker, which I agree with. In 2010, he scored from a distance of 35 meters, forcing the goalkeeper to fully stretch.
Siniša Mihajlović

Sinisa unleashes the bomba! He is a very rare left-footed free kick specialist who knew how to combine power, accuracy, and swerve altogether. For him, free kicks from 25 meters were like penalties. He was a free kick hat-trick hero against Sampdoria, scoring many beautiful goals, like the one where he netted a goal through the legs of the Udinese keeper from 30 meters out. It's too bad he didn't use the "knuckle ball" technique for free kicks. Who knows what would have happened if he had...
Rumor has it that his powerful left foot shot reached a top speed of 165 km/h during research from the Department of Physics at the University in Belgrade. He is the best free kick taker in the world.
Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi, born June 24, 1987, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won eight Ballon d'Or awards and numerous domestic and international titles. He... read more

Messi is not just one of the best. He is the best at free kicks. His free kick curves are just amazing, as are his direct goals from a free kick. He is the best and one of the best I have ever seen. Sure, he sometimes misses, but everyone does that. Everyone misses from time to time.
But when he scores, it is just amazing the way he does it and the way he just puts it at the back of the net. Just magical. Messi is a magician, a great magician, and he deserves number 1. He needs to be number 1 because of the journey he came from, from being the poorest of the poor to a legend. So he is, and deserves, number 1.

His free-kick style is amazing. He should be in the top 5 after his free-kick performance in the 2015/2016 season. He scores almost every time, and if he doesn't, then it hits the bar. Simply the best at everything on the field.
Alessandro del Piero

Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, also called a deep-lying forward. He was widely praised for his technical skills, vision, and free-kick accuracy. Del Piero spent 19 seasons with Juventus, serving as captain for 11... read more

He had a great percentage of goals from free kicks. He has been scoring from free kicks since he was young. Juninho scored from free kicks in the second part of his career. Every Del Piero free kick was dangerous and in proximity to the corners. He transformed free kicks from every position. He also scored long-range goals with both feet. Unbelievable talent.

Del Piero scored the most free kicks in the history of Serie A and the European Champions League. He is the best on this list, hands down.
One more thing you have to bear in mind is that Del Piero scored in the Italian League (Serie A), which has the best defenses and the most experienced goalkeepers (compared to the French League or any league, for that matter).

The Newcomers

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Son Heung-min
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Trent Alexander-Arnold

The Contenders

Steven Gerrard

Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former Liverpool player. He famously captained Liverpool to a miraculous comeback victory in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final. After hanging up his boots, he transitioned into management and successfully led... read more

Not only is he an amazing striker of the ball, but he also delivers results when they are most needed. Remember the F.A. Cup final against West Ham? Down three-nil at halftime, and the rest, as they say, is history.

He possesses both control and ability. He is the best free-kick taker and should be in the top ten. While players like Messi and Ronaldo are good with the ball in the field, they are not free kickers. Gerrard is the best.

Does nothing fancy but still achieves the best result. Some people, AKA Ronaldo, try to do too much, and their free kicks end up in the crowd!
Shunsuke Nakamura

Any list of great free-kick takers that doesn't include Nakamura is drawn up by the ignorant. I'm not sure what his percentage was, but I seem to remember him scoring from direct free kicks just as often as he missed. It was almost like a penalty.
He also scored them when it mattered in the Champions League. He had perfect technique and the courage to match.

His technique is unrivaled. Watching him curl a free kick right into the top corner is a thing of beauty. A free kick is like a penalty if he is on your team. A Celtic legend! He makes Van der Sar look like Stretch Armstrong.
Zico

Zico is a Brazilian former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and is widely regarded as one of Brazil's greatest players. He was known for his exceptional technical skills, precise passing, and goal-scoring ability, particularly from free kicks. After retiring from playing, Zico became... read more

Arrgh! These lists are terrible! Zico is the best ever, or at least in the top 10, yet he is beaten by the likes of Van Persie, Drogba, and Nobby Solano!

I don't care what anyone says. I firmly believe Zico is the best on free kicks. He has no match.

He is the only one to have scored more than Juninho, and it's "only" about 30 more.
Pierre van Hooijdonk

The best footballer ever! He just punished all goalkeepers game after game.

He scored 14 goals in all competitions in his first season in Rotterdam. I have never seen anything like it.

Such a great free kick taker. I will always remember the one against Freiburg.
Juan Arango

He is unquestionably the best left-footer. Arguably the most underrated free-kick taker in the world, he should easily be in the top five. Unfortunately, he has played for less renowned teams such as Mallorca and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

How is this guy not on the list? I have seen about 50 goals on free kicks from him, but many people undervalue his skills.

His high accuracy at long distances is simply magical. When he kicks the ball, he makes the difficult look easy.
Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder is a retired Dutch professional footballer. He played for major clubs including Ajax, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Galatasaray. Sneijder was also a prominent member of the Netherlands national team, earning over 130 caps during his international career.

Yeo, because he plays for the best team, Real Madrid, he has scored four goals this year, and three were on a free kick. P.S. Madrid are going to smash Roma in the Champions League.
Ryan Giggs

Ryan Joseph Giggs is a Welsh football coach and former player. He spent his entire playing career at Manchester United, where he made a record 963 appearances and won 34 trophies. After retiring in 2014, he served as assistant manager at Manchester United and later became co-owner of Salford City.

The best and most talented free kick taker.
Gheorghe Hagi

He could score from any distance, not just outside of the box. In addition, he could score from any angle, as demonstrated in international team matches as well as Champions League and domestic league matches. Without a doubt, he is the most frequent and best free-kick taker in history!

Hagi was undoubtedly the greatest left-footed player of all times. To this day, I have not seen a goalkeeper who could easily stop one of his long-range "torpedoes". Let's leave the popular names aside and give these players the recognition they deserve: "Hagi-Juninho-Beckham!"
Rivaldo

Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira, widely known as Rivaldo, is a retired Brazilian professional footballer. He was part of the Brazil national team that won the 2002 FIFA World Cup and received the Ballon d'Or in 1999. Rivaldo was known for his powerful left foot, technique, and ability to score from long... read more

Power, curve, and genius placement: Rivellino scored absolutely classic game-changing direct-free-kick goals against Czechoslovakia and East Germany upon the biggest World stage. Yet, he gunned his shots in while the balls were still heavy and slow. Rivellino must be a top 10 direct-kick specialist of all times, perhaps top 5.
Go watch footage of Rivellino. You will not be sorry. He was the original master of elastico and had rare close-control dribble mastery in dense traffic. All-time greats like Ronaldinho and Maradona are self-proclaimed disciples of his. As one of the original direct-kick specialists, he introduced shots that few can ever repeat.
Thierry Henry

Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional football coach and former player. In August 2016, he became the second assistant coach of the Belgium national team under head coach Roberto Martínez. Henry previously enjoyed a successful playing career with clubs such as Arsenal, Barcelona, and the New... read more

Great man. Great player. God of football. Best footballer ever. Scored 20 free-kick goals, screamers, just for Arsenal. Legend.

Cracking striker! Hits bangers all day long.
Diego Forlán
Alex

Guys! Alex stands out from other free-kick takers because he has the ability to fire his bullet shot precisely to his preferred position. Ultimately, the goalkeeper will not get a chance to touch the ball. That's Alex for you!
Gareth Bale

Gareth Frank Bale is a retired Welsh professional footballer who played as a winger for the English club Tottenham Hotspur, the Spanish club Real Madrid, and the Wales national team. He captured a staggering five UEFA Champions League titles during his historic tenure in Spain. The explosive forward... read more

Best free-kick taker in the world!
He can do the best knuckleball.
Leighton Baines

Leighton John Baines is a retired English professional footballer who played as a left-back for Premier League club Everton and the England national team. He spent most of his club career at Everton, where he played from 2007 to 2020. Baines is noted for his exceptional crossing ability and proficiency... read more

54? You can't be serious! He is better than all of these minor league players in the Middle East above him. If you don't believe me, watch clips on YouTube!

Baines is very consistent because if he doesn't score a free kick, it either gets on target or hits the frame of the goal.

Leighton Baines is the set-piece king without a doubt.
Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie is a Dutch coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the all-time top scorer for the Netherlands men's national team and is considered one of the best strikers of his generation.... read more

With killer class and a left foot, he lost it because of injuries, but videos are still evidence. He can still come back to the same level.

He has amazing speed, curve, and power in his kicks. I think he has the best left foot in the Premier League. He is awesome.

His free kicks are so accurate. I haven't seen one better than his free kick against Everton some years back.