Best Free Kick Takers in Football (Soccer)

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The Top Ten

1 Juninho Pernambucano Juninho Pernambucano Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr., commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a retired Brazilian footballer.

In all aspect guy is a guru in free kick taking, even in a tight corner he deliver better result, I can remember the he took against Barcelona in a champions league match is kick was outstanding to an extent it force Victor Valdes to fumble. To me is the greatest in taking free kick.

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 which 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.

There's a huge gap between beckham and juninho, not saying beckham shouldn't be second, but juninho is the best by a long shot.

Best free kick taker in the history of the game. Could curl the ball, hit the knuckle ball, score from the right, the left, center, 30 yards, 40 yards, you name it.

V 115 Comments
2 David Beckham David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham is an English retired professional footballer. He played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, Milan, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain and the England national team, for which he held the appearance record for an outfield player until 2016.

He treated his game like an art and he was the artist!

How is Becks not at number 1, he is the best by a country mile. You would pay just to watch a beckham freekick exhibition, his freekicks are footballing artistry.

He is simply the best... Followed by Zico.
He is a one of the most hard working player I've never known despite of all the fame he got outside and inside the field. He never lost his cool - Respect!

CAN ANYBODY BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM...PROBABLY NOBODY!

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3 Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Italian club Juventus and the Portugal national team.

Cristiano is always number 1... Period... Show me a better free kick than the one against portsmouth a few years back at Old Trafford? - xyz51007

Amazing his still in hi career but his not yet finished!

Beckham and juninho have never shot a free kick from more than 45 yards. But ronaldo has.. Against arsenal. He should be number 1.

Cristiano Ronaldo the best free kick taker of all time (Alvano)

V 270 Comments
4 Roberto Carlos Roberto Carlos Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha, more commonly known simply as Roberto Carlos, is a Brazilian retired footballer.

I had seen his one goal that is really impossible

Brazil vs France, Real Madrid the best long range free kicks ever

no one is like roberto carlos in free kicks

Between him and Ronaldinho but Roberto Carlos just clinches it because of that free kick that literally defied physics

V 63 Comments
5 Ronaldinho Ronaldinho Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a retired Brazilian footballer.

He is the best there is... The ball always finds the extreme top corner near to the far post... Scored an amazing low shot freekick against werder bremen. Top that and then talk

He keeps it simple but strategist and he has the cool needed to maintain while a kick. - monk-e

Here's the facts: Beckham may have a little 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 amazing, amazing, amazing goal against England in the '02 World Cup. He was at least 35-40 meters from the goal. Beckham always takes them from about 25-30 meters, and if it's anymore than that, Madrid will get Roberto Carlos to power-shot one into the goal. Also in the year that Barcelona won the champions League (last season-05/06), Ronnie and Barca played against the Italian team Udinese. Ronaldinho scored a hat trick... From 3 DIRECT FREE KICKS. If you don't believe me, check the statistics yourself.

Yo

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6 Diego Maradona Diego Maradona Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine professional footballer. He is known for "The Goal of the Century" and the "Hand of God" goal.

There's nothing to say. Simply the Greatest of all times. Magic. Go and see all his goals and you'll understand why he was the best.

The thing that defined maradona was he's dribbling and of course the hand of god.

Thanks to god for gave this player

He is good

V 4 Comments
7 Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo is an Italian professional footballer who plays for American club New York City FC in Major League Soccer and the Italy national team.

Pirlo can use both the inside and outside of his foot for free kicks and his consistency is second only to Juninho.

He was my favorite midfielder and in fifa 11 he was supposed to be a good free kick taker and I agree to it. In 2010, he scored at a distance of 35 m and for the keeper it is full stretch.

He is the best player in all the world and has a super super free kick and powerful shot and very accurate

Pirlo is SICK at free kicks!

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8 Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona. He is also known as one of the greatest football players of all time. He was born in Rosario, Argentina on June 24th, 1987.

Messi is a really good free kick taker if he shoots almost every time he scores he shoots in top or low corners that's the key of free kicks

Does anyone remember the free kick where he put it under the wall... Cheeky and pure genius... Messi is by far the best player as well as the best free kick taker

Lionel Andries Messi is the Greatest player of all the time, and now he is becoming the best free kick taker, he can curl the ball and whatever he want he can do, magician is small world for him, He is complete Genius.

I say he is the best freekicktaker

V 120 Comments
9 Sinisa Mihajlovic

Sinisa tira la BOMBA! A very rare left-footed free kick specialist who knew to combine power, accuracy and swerve all together. Free kicks from 25 meters were for him like penalties. A free kick hat-trick hero vs. Sampdoria, and many, many beautiful goals like the one when he scored a goal through the legs of the Udinese keeper from 30 meters far out... Too bad he didn't used "knuckle ball" technique from free kicks, who knew what would happened if he used that... Rumour has it, that his powerful left foot shot reached top speed of 165 kh during a research from the Department of Physics at the University in Belgrade. The best free kick taker in the world...

he holds the record for most international free-kicks. AND he scored a hat-trick from free kicks too

The greatest free kick taker of all time. period.

Underrated... he is at least in top3

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10 Alessandro del Piero Alessandro del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a deep-lying forward.

Del Piero scored the most free kicks in the history of Serie A and the European Champions League! He is the best of all 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 most experienced goal keepers (compared to the French League or any League in that matter! )

he scored so many goals from freekicks that he's probably the best takers... or at least in my opinion

The greatest player ever! His good attitude, personality, professional player..
His goals against Real Madrid in the European Champions League 2008/2009. He is the Legend of Football, the Legend of Juventus who all the Juventini proud of!
Del Piero >> The greatest player!

Simply the most artistic free kicks :) Just like a painter! Pinturichio

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The Contenders

11 Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard is an English professional footballer who plays for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.

The most controlled free-kick taker I ever saw! - Wizteddy13

He's the only guy that just uses sheer power to cannon the ball in. Just look at his free-kick against Newcastle United

Does nothing fancy but still achieves the best result... Some people A.K. A Ronaldo try to do too much and their free kicks end up in the crowd! - kameel

Simply amazing freekicks

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12 Pierre van Hooijdonk

Feyenoord won the UEFA cup because of this gift of Van Hooijdonk, every single match, again and again

"put your hands up for Pi-air... That's what we used to sing! Really cool, it was like half a penalty when he took a free kick close to the penalty area!

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

25-30 or 45 meters. It doesn't matter for Pierre.

I remember he scored a free kick against Turkish club Ankaragücü from nearly center of the field.

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13 Gheorghe Hagi

big star. great shoots. Carpathian maradona. uefa cup 2000 winner. super cup winner. Hagi galatasaray clup player and past technical director. Romania super star.

He surely has to be in the top 5!

He could score from any distance, not just outside of the box. Also to put on top of this he could score from any angle which he proved in International team matches as well as Champions league and domestic league matches. Without a doubt the most frequent and best free kick taker in history!

You can write a book about his right foot and at the end of it you should say his magic foot was his left one..

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14 Shunsuke Nakamura

Nakamura is great player, he can provide feedback to the striker and allows the striker to score and with a fitting accuracy of the kick, he can score goals from dead ball shot

Week in, week out, Naka sticks them in from free kicks! Keepers just cannot get to the ball in time... Simply UNBELIEVABLE! Hail! Hail!

Nakamura is simply the best at free kicks. Not only that but his ball control, his football brain and passing. He is even good enough to play in the premiership (please don't leave us). He is awesome - celtic4life

Naka’s free kick against Man U in champs league at Celtic Park was the best I’ve ever seen! Not only was it from 35yrds out but also against Van Der Sar who was regarded as one of the best keepers in the world! Simply amazing!

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15 Zico

i don't care what anyone says, i firmly believe zico is the best on free kicks, he has no match.

Pele said to Zico " You're the best soccer player ever and you're the closest person that went to my greatness"

ARRGGH! 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!

Fart

V 8 Comments
16 Juan Arango

High accuracy in long distance.. Is amazing, is simply magic when he kicks the ball, he makes easy the difficult

He is one of the best in the world he should be top 10 no doubt

Best left footer in actual times. No doubt about it

My opinion for the best freekick taker is definitely Juan Arango because every single freekick he took it either hit one of the posts, was a goal, or the goalie blocked it but they were always on target.


#best#number1#BOSS#myidolatfreekicks

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17 Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for Turkish club Galatasaray and the Netherlands national team.

A Galatasaray Legend like Hagi.

Yeo
Because he plays for the best team in the (REAL MADRID) he has scored 4 goalz this year and 3 were on a free kick
Ps. Madrid are gonna smash roma in the champions league

V 3 Comments
18 Ryan Giggs Ryan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs is a Welsh football coach and former player who is currently the assistant manager at Manchester United and co-owner of Salford City.

Best and talented free kick taker

The best utd player in the last 25 years - gruppenfuhrer

19 Memphis Depay

he nooob

20 Robin van Persie Robin van Persie Dutch footballer from Rotterdam born on August 6 1983. Currently plays for the Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K and The Netherlands national football team as the number 11. Robin Van Persie is known for playing for Arsenal and Manchester United, though his most notable goal was his header against Spain ...read more.

He has an amazing speed, curve and power in his kicks plus I think he has the best left foot in the premier league. He is awesome.

Killer left foot with with class, he lost it because of injuries but still videos are evidence, and still he can come back to same level..

Powerful left foot. He takes it so well.

He has a superb left foot

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21 Rivaldo

Just watch his free kicks on you tube, I think he deserves at least 10th place, he had such accurracy and power, few players now have such.

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, had a rare close-control dribble mastery in dense traffic. All time greats like Ronaldinho and Maradona are self-proclaimed disciples of his. And as one of the original direct-kick specialists, he introduced shots that few can ever repeat.

22 Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional football coach and former player. He is the second assistant coach of the Belgium national team.

Great Man.. Great player... God of football.. Best footballer ever.. Scored 20 free kick goals (screamers.. While just for Arsenal.. LEGEND)

He is god of arsenal taken retake of freekick and scored it like a boss

Cracking Striker!
Hits bangers all day long.

23 Diego Forlan

No matter what everyone say about you good man

His skills are amazing like spider man

His free kicks corners are excellent

Great player - gruppenfuhrer

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24 Juan Roman Riquelme

The more creative midfielder that soccer have right now. His free kicks are just too accurate. For me the best with Nakamura.

Man He Is Good Fit For Bayern Munchen Ill Tell You That He Is Good Free Kicker Good At Curve

25 Alex

Guys! Alex is different from other free-kick takers because he has de ability to fire his bullet shot to his preferred position... and at last the Goal-keeper will not get a chance to touch the ball... that's Allexx

L...

Alex's freekicks are the BOMB! He proven his worthyness vs arsenall

26 Wayne Rooney Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney is an English professional footballer who plays for and captains both Manchester United and the England national team.

He should have become before. But there is a reason for this because he doesn't take any free kicks at all. He should prctise more and come to the top.

He's one of the best caption and a best legend after his retirement

Look where everton are today, he is rubbish - gruppenfuhrer

he is good

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27 Jay Jay Okocha

He deserve to be in the first 30

Legend

African Football legend. PProlific free-kicks taker. Even Ronaldinho took some football lessons from him while @ PSG in France. He deserves to be in at least the top 30.

28 Miralem Pjanic Miralem Pjanic Miralem Pjanić is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Italian club Juventus and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.

Now he taking good free kicks

Probably among 3 best fk takers in "main leagues" at the moment

Convertion ratio from try to become goal this season is amazing

29 Gareth Bale Gareth Bale Gareth Frank Bale is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Wales national team.

he is for sure the best young free kick taker in the world - mshalfon

Bale is among the top 3 best free kick takers

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30 Leighton Baines Leighton Baines Leighton John Baines is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Everton and the England national team.

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!

Leighton Baines is the set piece king without a doubt.

Baines in very consistent because if he doesn't score a freekick, it's gets on target or hits the frame of the goal.

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31 Frank Lampard Frank Lampard Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for New York City FC in Major League Soccer.

Are all the people out off their minds. Lampard is best free kick taker in whole universe and from when is baichung bhutia better than him. He is aWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AND AWESOME

FRANK! FRANK! FRANK! Best free kick/penalty taker ever! Have you seen him miss?

The most outside the box scorer in England!

You're the best lampard

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32 Zlatan Ibrahimović Zlatan Ibrahimović Zlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish professional footballer who plays for an English club Manchester United and the Sweden national team for which he is captain.

He is honestly better than nani, Ryan highs and many more above him

He is some cheat

What are you serious he is way better than those kiddy league noobs from the Middle East above him and baines

BEST DISTANCE SHOOTER EVER! - wriddhak

33 Rogério Ceni

Best in Brasil even according to Juninho Pernambucano

Goalkeeper for Sau Paulo who scored 65 free kicks in his career. 25 more than Juninho

Best free kick taker ever and he has scored the most goals for a goalkeeper

Around 60 goals with perfect technique. This is insane, even for midfielders!

34 Frank Ribery

Man Did You See His Five Free Kicks In The World Cup They Were Awesome Did You See There Curve They Were Incredible He Should Be Number 15 Or 10 at least 15 maybe 10 He He Can Score Them When He Wants To

35 Roberto Rivelino

Rivelino's shots had power, curves, surprising placement. He defined free-kick specialist. Scored incredible free kicks on the biggest stage. He did it when the ball was still big, slow and heavy. Ronaldinho and Maradona are self-idenfied disciples.

36 Ronald Koeman

Maybe the youngsters can't remember how good he was at free kicks.

For me, easy top ten

A physical yet technical Dutch powerhouse center back who scored a whooping more than 240 career goals and his freekicks are very dangerous and very powerful

Ronald koeman is so good he should be I n at least the top 20

V 2 Comments
37 Anderson Talisca
38 Ali Karimi Ali Karimi Ali Karimi nicknamed "Maradona of Asia", is an Iranian coach and retired footballer. He has played for Fath Tehran, Persepolis, Al-Ahli Dubai, Bayern Munich, Qatar SC, Steel Azin, Schalke 04, Tractor Sazi, and the Iran national team for which he scored 38 goals in 127 appearances.

He is the best in the world

™� ali karimi is the best football player in the world♥

He is the best player in Iran
We love him so much
Mohsen (one of tiraxtor FC CLUB <3 Fans)

Ali Karimi is one of those players that couldn't reach their real position in football.His driblling was something like Messi or ronaldinho's driblling,but unfortunatly due to an injury in Bayern Munchen he couldn't continue his career very well.He is the best player in the Asia's history.If you don't believe me have a search in the internet with his name.In a national game he driblled whole of players and scored a goal,just like Maradonna...

39 Ashkan Dejagah

He is a good football player

I love you ashkan
Reza of Iran

Ashkan technique is the best

Best of Fulham F.C.

V 1 Comment
40 Didier Drogba Didier Drogba Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Canadian Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact.

DROGBA THE LION.. awesome free kicks just brilliant, and I love alex too.. he's also one of the best free-kick takers

Didier drogba I think he is the best free kick-taker in the world because he is fast and a good aimer in front of goal

he seems to be improving at an alarming rate. Great finisher and awesome free-kick taker

Your skills are amazing

V 5 Comments
41 Alvaro Recoba

Alvaro Recoba is the greatest free kick taker in the world and shooter the first game he played foe inter he scored the best goal I have ever seen even the english commentators were amased at the power of the kick with no run up to shoot.

not only in shooting freekick that even greatest
but he done well also in passing freekick.
his passing freekick bring the goals so many too

He is the best left free kick player in the world
Recoba have a quality passing, can play as striker or play maker..
His left foot strike just be silent of goalkeeper

He scored a hatrick of free kicks in 1 game, he should be higher in the list!

V 3 Comments
42 Michel Platini Michel Platini Michel François Platini is a football administrator, who served as the president of the Union of European Football Associations from 2007 until 2015, after which he was banned for 8 years following an ethics investigation by the FIFA Ethics Committee on 21 December 2015, and formerly a French football ...read more.

I'm actually very shocked that Michael Platini, the man who revolutionized the free kick, who reinvented it, isn't in the top 3, but what's worse is that he's not even in the top ten. He had accuracy that only Juninho and Beckham could match, and he put the ball over the wall and under the bar with such pace that few people realized how near impossible it was to take a free kick the way he did. This list is flawed. Platini, then Juninho, then Beckham, the C. Ronaldo and the rest of the top 20 are about even...

He in my opinion is not the greatest ever free kick taker, however he is the inventor and perfecter of the "over the wall, under the bar" free kick and deserves to be number 4 (behind 1. Cristiano Ronaldo 2. David Beckham 3. Juninho) because he revolutionized the art of taking a direct free kick.

I agree with the opinion that he deserves to be in the top 3.

Yeah, amazing how often he scored when taking a free kick.
The only player I ever saw score TWICE with one free kick.

He did it in club team and in the national team.

V 1 Comment
43 Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane, nicknamed "Zizou", is a retired French footballer and current manager of Real Madrid.

though zidane lacks power when passing and doesn't lift the ball high up in the air like beckham, ronaldinho, or pirlo, he still manages to score from an average range. he doesn't have speed like carlos or accuracy like juninho, however he's still fairly better than those regular soccer players you see

He is claim and more released when taking penalties. His targets are serious for the keep to caught.

Zinedine is the best player in the world

HE IS MY FRIEND OKAY WEIRD"O!

V 1 Comment
44 Hakan Çalhanoğlu

This guy is amazing at free-kicks. We will see him dominate for years if he can stay injury-free. I can tell you big clubs will want to buy him.

This guy should be in the top 10. No doubts. amazing free kick taker

He deserves better ranking

No1

V 4 Comments
45 Kieran Gibbs
46 Josimar
47 Mehdi Kiani
48 Nolberto Solano

He's scored greatest goals in Sporting Cristal, Boca Jrs, Newcastle, Aston Villa, West Ham United and the Peruvian national team.

Solano deserves to be ranked in the top ten or maybe at least 11, 12 or 13.

He is one of the best, even Maradona called him "Maestrito"

The best free kicker in the history of newcastle

V 2 Comments
49 Roberto Baggio Roberto Baggio Roberto Baggio (Italian pronunciation: roˈbɛrto ˈbaddʒo), born 18 Feb 1967, is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, or as an attacking midfielder. In 1993, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or. He is the former President of ...read more.

Baggio should be number 1

The divine ponytail was a player ahead of his time. His touch, creativity and skill were second to none. He scored loads of amazing free kicks at Fiorentina, Juventus, AC Milan, Bologna, Inter and Brescia. I particularly recall a very intelligent freekick he took while at inter. Everyone expected a cross and he fooled them all and passed it into the net. At Brescia he took a corner kick directly into the net during a league game against Leece. A true legend!

43? I can't believe it.Baggio is one of the best free kick takers in the football history...

50 Milan Radovic

Milan Radovic is the best free kick taker... now Milan Radovic played for Persib Bandung Team From Indonesian...

Your curve and power in his kicks plus I think he has the best. THANKS MILAN RADOVIC YOUR FREE KICK AND GOAL WINS

This is...
The next Yunus Fauzan Apriliatna, and he is Persib Bandung player

Thanks Radovic for your free kick in PERSIB BANDUNG - yunusfauzanapriliatna

V 3 Comments
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17,000 votes
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Top Remixes (30)

1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. David Beckham
3. Juninho Pernambucano
raul7
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. David Beckham
3. Juninho Pernambucano
jooo
1. Juninho Pernambucano
2. Roberto Carlos
3. Ronaldinho
majstor

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