Who has scored the most free-kick goals in football history?

Who has scored the most free-kick goals in football history? There have been some brilliant free-kick takers over the decades, and we have done the research so you do not have to find the very best.

All free-kick goal records are correct as of January 2026 and include as many as four Brazilian stars as well as two players still competing at the highest level of the beautiful game, as we take you through a list of the top 10…

Who has scored the most free-kick goals in football history? – The top 10

1. Juninho Pernambucano – 77 free-kick goals

Based on sheer numbers, the greatest free-kick taker of all time is Juninho. The attacking midfielder, who made a name for himself at Lyon, scored 179 goals in total for club and country at senior level, meaning roughly 43% of his goals came from free-kicks.

• Iconic moment: The midfielder could score from all angles, with the ball tending to dip into the corners late, given his unique strike technique. One of his best came for Lyon against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), scoring many on the biggest of occasions.

2. Pele – 70 free-kick goals

Cue the jokes around half of these coming in his back garden or against farmers in Brazil. There are some question marks around the numbers that are credited to Pele, but based on the information available, the Brazilian scored 70 free-kick goals during his career, which works out at around 10.2% of his total number of goals.

• Iconic moment: Some of his most memorable ones have come in a Brazil shirt on the biggest stage, notably against Mexico in the 1970 FIFA World Cup, which Brazil went on to win with perhaps the greatest international team ever seen.

3. Lionel Messi – 70 free-kick goals

Arguably one of the greatest players to have graced the game, Lionel Messi has produced countless unforgettable moments throughout his career. While the Argentine is often celebrated for his mesmerising solo runs and intricate dribbling, he has also perfected the art of scoring from free-kicks, adding another dimension to his already vast repertoire.

Earlier in March, Messi scored a stunning free-kick in Inter Miami’s 4-2 win over Orlando City, drawing level with Pele’s record for free-kick goals. Juninho still leads the all-time list, and it remains to be seen whether Messi can surpass that mark before bringing his extraordinary career to a close.

• Iconic moment: One of Messi's best free-kicks came in Barcelona's UCL semi-final first leg against Liverpool back in May 2019, netting what was also his 600th Barca goal when he fired into the top-left corner from around 25 yards out. That gave Barcelona a 3-0 lead going into the second leg, but they would lose 4-0 at Anfield to crash out of the competition.

5= Victor Legrotaglie – 66 free-kick goals

Legrotaglie played football in the mid-20th century. The Argentine predominantly played football in his home country and was known as a free-kick specialist.

Sadly, he passed away in March last year at the age of 86, and footage of Legrotaglie in action is hard to come by.

5= Ronaldinho – 66 free-kick goals

Ronaldinho is a star every football fan knows, as the Brazilian trickster scored 238 goals in total for club and country, meaning roughly 27.7% of his goals came from free-kicks.

• Iconic moment: Many fans will remember Ronaldinho gracing a football pitch, including his free-kicks. Unfortunately for England fans, a spectacular one came against them for Brazil at the 2002 World Cup, a game in which Ronaldinho spearheaded his country to victory.

6. David Beckham – 65 free-kick goals

Beckham managed a respectable 114 goals from midfield for both club and country. This means around 57% of his goals came from free kicks, highlighting a true master at work. The Einstein of football physics, Beckham rarely relied on sheer power for his free-kicks, instead mastering the art of bending the ball with such precision that it felt like a science perfected.

• Iconic moment: There are plenty of Beckham's free-kicks to watch and admire, but a crucial one came for England against Greece in 2001, as he produced a late piece of magic that sent the Three Lions to the 2002 FIFA World Cup:

7. Cristiano Ronaldo – 64 free-kick goals

Cristiano Ronaldo was once a phenomenal free-kick taker, particularly during his first stint at Manchester United. Following a serious knee injury at Real Madrid, though, his technique changed and his abilities from distance seemingly fell off a cliff.

His ego means he still takes all set pieces for club and country so he could add a couple of goals to this tally before he is done, but he made deflections and goalkeeping errors to reach Messi.

• Iconic moment: The best free-kick CR7 has ever taken was the knuckle-ball he scored against Portsmouth in the Premier League back in 2008, which some attribute to being the moment he truly completed his transformation into the dead-ball specialist that would win almost every honour imaginable over the coming decade.

9= Diego Maradona – 62 free-kick goals

Maradona, another midfield legend for Brazil's greatest rivals, Argentina, scored the same number of free-kick goals as Zico. Around 21.1% of his goals in a glittering career came from direct free-kicks.

Though his off-pitch life was not without controversy, Maradona is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, given his superior technical ability and low centre of gravity.

• Iconic moment: One of his best free-kick goals was for Napoli against Juventus in 1985. Something of a collector's item, this one came inside the box after Maradona went on an explosive run and was floored by two Juventus defenders. He produced a nonchalant effort after his teammate rolled the ball into his path, curling it over a helpless Bianconeri wall and high into the top-right corner of Stefano Tacconi's net.

9= Zico – 62 free-kick goals

Zico was another free-kick specialist, with his trademark languid run-up made famous in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A legend in his home country of Brazil, 25.8% of the attacking midfielder's goals for club and country came from free-kicks, or just over a quarter. He often rose to the biggest of occasions, scoring free-kicks at FIFA World Cups, and is an icon of the competition.

• Iconic moment: They do not get much better than Zico's glorious hit against Scotland at the 1982 World Cup. With Brazil trailing 1-0 and the ball just outside the ‘D', Zico curled an effort into the top-right corner past Alan Rough. The Selecao went on to win 4-1.

10. Rogerio Ceni – 61 free-kick goals

Rogerio Ceni's position on this list is remarkable when you consider that the former Sao Paolo man is a goalkeeper. Ceni's ability from dead-ball situations was so good that managers throughout his career were prepared to leave their own goals unoccupied so that he could take free-kicks.

• Iconic moment: Surely any time a goalkeeper waltzes 70 yards up to the pitch to smash a free-kick in an iconic moment, and something we are unlikely to ever see again.

When could Cristiano Ronaldo match David Beckham's tally?

Ronaldo could match Pele's tally this season, even if his dead-ball abilities are no longer what they once were. He is the primary taker at club level, which means he is far more likely to reach free-kick number 65 for Al Nassr than he is for Portugal, where duties are shared around.

A man for the big occasion, Ronaldo would love to match or surpass Beckham during the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

When could Lionel Messi match Pele's tally?

Messi is currently just one free-kick goals (69) behind Pele's tally of 70, and at the age of 38 now, time is running out for the Argentina international to match the Brazilian icon.

With the MLS season now over, Messi will not play a competitive match until February. If he can net a free-kick in the early season, then he could surpass Pele at the 2026 World Cup.

If watching these free-kick legends has got you in the mood to bet on the beautiful game, check out our dedicated page for Indian betting to find the best tips, odds, and offers available.