30 of the best free-kick takers in world football

The world can feel like a divisive place, now more than ever, but there is one thing that can bind us all together in these testing times. For at heart, we are all free kick fanatics. We all have our favourite executors of these dead ball delights, because there are few things in football like it. A penalty? That's just a sh#t free kick, mate. A corner? That's just an unnecessarily hard one. 

No, out of all the set pieces we possess, the free kick is by far the most coveted, the most cherished, and by proxy, the most arduous. It takes thousands and thousands and thousands of hours to perfect this mesmeric craft. And, even then, probably thousands hours more to maintain it. 

And, as with most other art forms - and this is an art form - there are many different ways to execute a free kick, and thus many proponents worthy of celebration.

You can thwack it with untethered power, like, say, a verité filmmaker seeking to out some hard-hitting truths, you can caress it with curl, using the patience and panache of an impressionist painter, or you can sneak it along the floor and under the wall, like an internet writer finding a way to organically reference 'Game of Thrones' that doesn't come across as coat-tailing for clicks.

And you can do a whole lot more, too. The point is: free kicks, they're great! And, while it seems like every James Ward-Prowse under the sun can hit one top bins these days, there are still only a select few who truly warrant the label of Maester... I mean master (did it work?). 

Here are 30 of the best.

30. Shunsuke Nakamura

A legend in Japan, and he also holds a special place in the hearts of many Celtic fans as well.

At the age of 41, Nakamura is still playing. He may not possess the pace that he once had, but you don't have to do much running for a free-kick, do you?

Sneaking into the top 30 with his wand of a left foot (overused phrase, but relevant in this case), Nakamura's most famous free-kick arguably came in 2006 when he scored the winner against Manchester United at Celtic Park.

29. Juan Roman Riquelme

Did he score a high number of free-kicks? No.

When he did score one, did it tend to be a corker? Indeed it did.

Riquelme earned himself the reputation of being a classy operator back in Argentina, and he was able to replicate that form in Spain with Barcelona and Villarreal. It was no surprise then that when he did step up for free-kicks he produced some memorable moments.

28. Marcos Assuncao

Short run-up. Clean connection. Ball in the net.

A simple method, yet it worked for the Brazilian. Assuncao did not deliver too many spectacular free-kicks during his time in Europe, but still showed glimpses of his potential from set-pieces.

When he returned to Brazil, he flourished at Palmeiras, scoring eight free-kicks in 2011. Into his mid-thirties, his influence around the pitch may have been waning, but he could still do his familiar two-step run-up and plant one in the top corner.

27. Paulo Dybala

He may struggle to get the ball off Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to free-kicks now that the Portuguese forward is at Juventus, but Dybala has certainly shown across his career that he can ping one in the top corner.

The Argentine playmaker is back to his best this season under Maurizio Sarri, but is still finding it difficult to convince Ronaldo that he deserves more chances with set-pieces. Remain patient Paulo, your time will come again.

26. Ian Harte

He did not actually score that many free-kicks during his career, but there was a time around the turn of the millennium when if Leeds won a free-kick around the edge of the area, they always hand a chance of scoring with Harte standing over it.

The Irish full back was able to get both curve and dip on the ball, and would often at least work the goalkeeper. Indeed, sometimes the goalkeeper's work would be picking the ball out of the net.

25. Pierre van Hooijdonk

Cracking name, cracking player. The Dutch forward was at his best at Feyenoord, and scored 11 free-kicks in the 2001/02 season, before netting a further ten the following year. That is some going.

He was not able to remain as consistent from set-pieces for the rest of his career, but that purple patch earns him a spot on this list.

24. Miralem Pjanic

Like Dybala, Pjanic also often has to watch on as Ronaldo takes command of the situation whenever Juventus are awarded a free-kick.

That doesn't mean he isn't any good at them. In fact, he is very good. The Bosnian midfielder has chipped in with plenty of goals from free-kicks during his career, including netting five in the 2015/16 season.

If only Ronaldo would hand him the ball from time to time, he might be able to improve on those statistics.

23. Alvaro Recoba

They may not have always found the target, but when Recoba did get one right his free-kicks were pretty special.

Remembered most fondly for his time at Inter between 1997 and 2008, Recoba was able to combine placement with power, scoring some memorable goals throughout his time in Italy. 

22. Marcelinho Carioca

Marcelinho has the nickname 'Pe-de-Anjo' which translates as 'Angel Foot'. Having that nickname makes it difficult to ignore the Brazilian midfielder.

Although he only made three appearances for the national side, Marcelinho enjoyed a stunning career at Corinthians, scoring over 200 goals for the club. Most of his notable strikes came from dead-ball situations, ensuring that he makes this list.

21. Victor Legrottaglie

This Argentine midfielder scored a remarkable 66 free-kicks during his career, which he played out exclusively in his homeland.

There can be no doubt that he was a free-kick specialist with a record like that, but could he have done it on a wet Tuesday night in Stoke? I guess we'll never know.

20. Zinedine Zidane

It's always worth reiterating, because all football fans are preternaturally riddled with short-term memory loss, Zinedine Zidane was an absolute CHEVRE. And, his CHEVREness extended to many facets of the game, including this here speciality. 

Unfortunately, in his capacity as a CHEVRE at one of the CHEVRE teams, he played with many a player who will come to occupy a place on this list, but when he could muscle himself over a set piece, sacre bleu, it was almost always magnifique.

19. Gianfranco Zola

The first of a *spoiler alert* three-man Tricolore, Gianfranco Zola made free kicks fun. Never one to truly thwack it from a set piece situation, and even when he did, the exertion always seemed minimal. 

That was Zola. The definitive cult hero is the sixth greatest executor of free kicks in Serie A history, and translated that success to Chelsea to great effect. The best way to sum up his free kick style would be to say that every single goal has a look of whipped ease that can only otherwise be found on apps such as Flick Kick Football.

18. Alessandro Del Piero

It's like splitting hairs when comparing Del Piero and Zola, but the nod goes to Del Piero for his superior Serie A record (by two) as well his unerring confidence in his own dead ball ability, having recently told Gazzetta dello Sport that he would still beat Cristiano Ronaldo in a mano-a-mano free kick battle. 

I rate that.

17. Roberto Baggio

The Divine Ponytail was a jack of all trades, and master of most - especially those that required the most honed of techniques and unbridled ingenuity.

Sure, he may be best remembered for blazing a penalty over the bar - though, as revealed here, that wasn't completely his fault - but, if the world was a fairer place, and positivity was preyed upon with the same eagerness as negativity, his prowess from the spot - be it inside the box or otherwise - would be the principal takeaway.

His creativity knew no bounds, and that certainly didn't stop when he lined up a shot with a wall of players assembled in front of him.

16. Gheorghe Hagi

Yeh, what was said about Zidane, but even more acutely, because Gheorghe Hagi was Romanian, and hasn't yet won the three requisite Champions League trophies it takes to sufficiently maintain your CAPRA (GOAT in Romanian - see you didn't even know!!) status as a former star turned manager.

The Maradona of the Carpathians (CAPRAthians) may have been more famed for his wandering runs, but he couldn't half hit a free kick either, possessing both might and precision in his armoury.

15. Andrea Pirlo

An extension of that initial Il Tricolore, we have Andrea Pirlo, which seems fitting, considering the Italian's storied obsessions with bettering himself from set pieces, which ultimately meant elevating himself above those aforementioned compatriots.

Speaking in his autobiography 'I Think Therefore I Play' (the greatest footballing autobiography title of all time?), the midfielder admitted: "The best ideas come about in moments of total concentration … My own Eureka moment arrived when I was sat on the toilet. Hardly romantic, but there you go."

That Eureka moment had been that Juninho Pernambucano's inimitable technique was actually somewhat imitable, as long as you used three toes instead of five at the moment of impact. Using this as a platform, he moulded it to his own unique feet, crafting the 'Maldetta' - his signature free kick - which translates to 'The Cursed One'.

With 43 goals coming from it, I think it worked.

14. Pele

What??!?!?!? Pele?!?!??! Only 14th?!?!?!?

Well, yeh. Some aggregators may have him at second in the all-time free kick scorers list (with 70 goals), but how many of those came as part of the 526 he scored in unofficial games and coordinated friendlies? We don't know.

Even more pressing than that, though, is the fact I have received many a Pele lecture in my life, most of them justified, but not one has leaned on the player's set piece prowess. #sorrynotsorry.

13. Roberto Carlos

Here's where that Pele placing gets tricky, because at least the guy actually scored a few.

Roberto Carlos' only scored 26 free kicks at club level throughout his career, and his La Liga conversion rate was 4.5%.The thing is, though, that fails to take into account all of the international thunderbolts (as a lot of these stats do), the most important of which being THAT mind-bending effort against France. 

He may not have been consistent, but he was always unbelievable. 

12. Jose Luis Chilavert

Nothing to see here, just a Paraguayan goalkeeper perfecting his craft at the 2002 World Cup. 

The second highest scoring keeper in the history of the world is probably most famous for scoring the only ever custodian hat-trick ever recorded, but they all came from the penalty spot, so we'll skip over those and head to his free kick exploits, because they were just as impressive.

His most impressive, you ask? Well, in 1996 he scored from inside his own half against River Plate. Yeh, seriously.

11. Cristiano Ronaldo

There's no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo's powers from the set piece spot have waned since his Manchester United years - we all remember the drought at Real Madrid - but he's still a legacy dead ball specialist. 

And that was proved once more in last summer's World Cup, when the Portuguese forward produced that last-gasp winner in that most pulsating of opening clashes against Spain. 

Still got it.

10. Michel Platini

Ok, I think I played the 'don't-forget-this-guy card too early'. Because, let's be real, Zinedine Zidane has not been ousted from the GOAT conservation in the same coarse way as Michel Platini. But that's for principally political reasons (you know, UEFA). So, here, let's just enjoy the player. 

The thing is about those few generationally gifted players, is that they can do pretty much whatever they like on the pitch, and Platini showed this more than ever when a ball was stationary before his feet and the referee blew his whistle to allow him to strike it. 

Sure, he could bend it into the top corner if he wanted, but he seemed to prefer to tease it along the ground, under the wall or otherwise, to maximise the opponent's hurt. Just like, I don't know, Cersei Lannister? That's a call back joke, which, if you didn't read the intro, makes zero sense. Shame on you... Shame. Shame.

9. Lionel Messi

Messi's statistics from free-kicks were not overly-impressive early on his career, but that has certainly changed now. Whenever, Barcelona get a free-kick around the edge of the area, there is a pretty good chance that a goal is coming.

In fact, it does not even have to be that close to the box for Messi to find the net. Just ask Liverpool.

It seems that the Argentine wizard excels at everything, and he is the best active free-kick taker in the game today.

8. Ronald Koeman

Corrr, could this guy do the business from a free kick.

Ronald Koeman, first of his name, shall be known from here on in on as: 'Ronald Koeman, Eighth Greatest Scorer From Free Kicks Ever'.

Sure, it's a clunky nickname, but it's completely factual. If you want the perfect distillation of Koeman's set piece dexterity, and it's wild variation, then watch that stonker against Sampdoria in the 1992 European Cup final followed by that deftest of dinks against England in 1993.

7. Zico

You may not have heard of Arthur Antunes Coimbra, but you've definitely heard of Zico, his one-word moniker. One of the first true free kick specialists, he outmanoeuvred most goalkeepers armed with just his all-encompassing footballing intelligence and a two-step run-up.

Indeed, such was his ability from that range, his Brazil teammate Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo has been quoted as saying: "For us, a free kick from the edge of the penalty area was almost like a penalty. For Zico, it was almost a goal already."

Some put his record at 62, others stretch it to 101, but one thing's for sure, he was a master. 

6. Diego Maradona

A definitive CHIVO if ever I've seen one, you might think you don't need another lecture on the greatness of Diego Maradona, but then, have you seen the latest teaser clip from the upcoming documentary about him? Watch it, it's right there. 

See, you're now susceptible to all things DIEGO and CHIVO. 62 golazos from free kick range. Yes, that's the sixth-best total.

5. Ronaldinho

We may have used all the creative ingenuity nods too early, because this man was more creative and more ingenious than just about anybody ever. Bloody hell.

With 65 registered free kick netbusters, the Brazilian Barcelona man is the fourth-highest scorer of free kicks ever.... so why is he fifth? Well, you'll find out.

4. David Beckham

See, the thing is, Ronaldinho was a better player than David Beckham in almost every way... except for this very specific way. Despite notching one more set piece score than the Englishman, Becks' whole legacy was built upon his delivery from free kicks/corners. 

He is also probably the owner of the most famous free kick in history (at least on these shores). I don't even have to say which, because everybody knows. EVERYBODY KNOWS. 

3. Sinisa Mihajlovic

A controversial character off the pitch (by that I mean almost every kind of terrible), Sinisa Mihajlovic could sure wow us with a dead ball.

No, he wasn't as good technically as those that have come before him on this list, far from it - he was a no-nonsense centre back, FFS - but that's what makes him so special, and what gives him the Bronze medal here. 

It's like this: you wouldn't call Alfonso Cuaron the greatest Cinematographer of all time (the GCOAT) just because he won an Oscar this year, because he's overqualified in other areas, just as Maradona, Messi, Pele, Ronaldinho, Platini, Zidane and more in this list are. That's why Sinisa gets the nod.

Not because I'm a big racist. 

2. Rogerio Ceni

Now that we've got that chat out of the way, the anointing of Rogerio Ceni as the second greatest free kick taker of all time can go ahead without distraction.

Rogerio Ceni, the greatest goalscoring goalkeeper of all time. Rogerio Ceni, scorer of 59 free kicks, the ninth best total of anyone, ever. Rogerio Ceni, the Sao Paulo hero who scored 132 goals in his career, putting himself in the ten greatest all-time scorers at the club.

Rogerio Ceni. Quite literally, a man like no other.

1. Juninho

Who else? Seriously, who?

From everywhere you look, it's indisputable. Juninho Pernambucano is simply the greatest free kick taker of all time. It's not even a discussion. Is he the top scoring set piece taker in history? Yes, with 77, he is indeed. 

Did he do it with the greatest flair? You bet.

Could he do it from anywhere? Are you kidding?

That link will send you to his 'Best Free Kicks Ever', but, to be honest, that feels discriminatory. Just watch them all. Now.