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Watching the ball fly into the back of the net from a direct free-kick has to be up there among the most satisfying sights to behold on a football pitch. Dead-ball specialists or free-kick specialists are essential to any team.
They can prove to be the difference in tight matches where the game is deadlocked and teams are struggling to find a breakthrough. Free-kick specialists these days use a variety of techniques to bamboozle goalkeepers.
Obviously, free-kicks from different ranges require different approaches. A free-kick from 25 yards out requires a player to infuse a certain amount of dip and swerve on the ball. Meanwhile, a direct free-kick from farther out requires a certain amount of power combined with curl.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at the five players who have scored the most club free-kicks in the 21st century.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo - 48 direct free-kick goals
Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick abilities have certainly waned in recent seasons. During his rise to the top in the early phase of his career, Ronaldo had established himself as one of the best free-kick takers on the planet.
His 'knuckleball' technique was iconic and is still being emulated by young and experienced players alike. Ronaldo scored five direct free-kick in three successive seasons (2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10). He did it again in the 2013-14 season for Real Madrid.
Ronaldo scored one direct free-kick for Manchester United in the 2021-22 season. It was his hat-trick goal in a 3-2 win over Norwich City in the Premier League on April 16.
#4 Lionel Messi - 50 direct free-kick goals
Lionel Messi added free-kicks to his arsenal a little later on in his career. But once he started perfecting the craft, he became the absolute master of it. Messi has scored 50 direct free-kicks in his club career.
Messi usually goes for a side-footed strike and applies plenty of curl to take it away from the goalkeeper and drop the ball in the top bin. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is one of the best free-kick takers of al time.
He scored seven free-kicks in each of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. After scoring his first club free-kick in the 2008-09 season, Messi went without finding the net from a free-kick last in the 2021-22 campaign.
#3 Ronaldinho - 55 direct free-kick goals
Ronaldinho is one of the most entertaining and exciting footballers of all time. The legendary Brazilian always played with a smile on his face and it was a joy to watch him on the football field.
His exquisite technique and the nonchalant manner in which he went about doing extraordinary things made him one of the most admired footballers of all time. Ronaldinho mastered the art of scoring from free-kicks over the course of his wonderful career.
He has scored a whopping 55 goals from free-kicks in his club career. In the 2006-07 season, Ronaldinho scored as many as seven direct free-kick goals.
#2 Rogerio Ceni - 59 direct free-kick goals
Rogerio Ceni is a bit of an anomaly because he is a goalkeeper who is pretty well known for his goalscoring exploits. He is one of the best goalscoring goalkeepers the game has ever seen.
Ceni's reputation as a premium goalscorer had a lot to do with his incredible set-piece abilities. He has only played for two clubs in his domestic career, namely Sinop and Sao Paulo.
The Brazilian has scored a whopping 59 direct free-kick goals in his club career. He is recognized by the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) as the goalkeeper who has scored the most number of goals (131).
#1 Juninho Pernambucano - 74 direct free-kick goals
Juninho Pernambucano is widely regarded as the greatest freekick taker of all time. He was a very dynamic dead-ball specialist who used an array of techniques to find the back of the net from set-pieces. It was Juninho who first popularized the 'knuckleball' technique, particularly when he was going for goal from far out.
He'd infuse a ridiculous amount of swerve and dip on the ball and consistently confounded goalkeepers. The Brazilian scored a whopping 44 direct free-kick goals for Olympique Lyon and is, to this day, viewed as the gold-standard when it comes to set-piece specialists.
