When Lionel Messi scored a free-kick on his Inter Miami debut in 2023, it was a sign of things to come.
Messi led the Herons to the 2023 Leagues Cup as well as the 2024 Supporters’ Shield — with an MLS record 74 points — before winning the most prestigious trophy in American soccer: the 2025 MLS Cup.
He was unable to add to his trophy haul in the summer, with Argentina losing in the World Cup final to Spain — ending their hopes of become the first men’s national team to win four straight major titles. Combined with losing his father Jorge, Messi has retired from international duty, though he will play one last time in October 2026.
Despite this heartbreak, Messi has continued to demonstrate why he is still one of the best players in world football. The 39-year-old has scored nine goals and provided five assists for Inter Miami since returning from World Cup action. And now he’s looking to become the top free-kick scorer of all time.
But just how many goals does Messi need?
10. Zico
- Free-kick goals: 62
To nobody’s surprise, the majority of the greatest set-piece takers have come from Brazil, including Zico, who scored a whopping 101 direct free-kick goals during his legendary career. However, only 62 of those came in officially verified competitive games, which still places him above the likes of Diego Maradona (61), Rogrrio Ceni (59), Ronaldinho (57), Shunsuke Nakamura (56) and David Beckham (53). Widely considered to be the greatest Brazil player to never win a major trophy, Zico nevertheless claimed 13 trophies during his Flamengo spell.
=9. Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Aravena
- Free-kick goals: 65
Back in 2011, when Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were just starting to impose themselves in world football, it was Ronaldo who was the free kick specialist with 30 goals to Messi’s four. But as the years have gone by, Messi has perfected his craft, while Ronaldo has declined into a below-average free kick taker. He did score on the final matchday of the 2025/26 Saudi Pro League season, ending a 632-day free-kick goal drought and helping Al-Nassr win their first championship since 2018/19. The Portuguese is now level with ex-Chile international Jorge Aravena at 65 free kick goals.
7. Marcos Assuncao
- Free-kick goals: 68
Marcos Assuncao first honed his dead-ball prowess with Brazilian clubs like Rio Branco, Santos, and Flamengo before carrying that threat over to European football and leading Roma to their first Scudetto in 18 years. This impressive form saw him play for Brazil on 11 occasions and eventually earn a move to Real Betis, where he played from 2002 to 2007 before heading to the United Arab Emirates. Assuncao then returned home and played for a number of Brazilian clubs before retiring in 2016 with an impressive 68 free kick goals.
=6. Sinisa Mihajlovic and Juninho Pernambucano
- Free-kick goals: 72
Contrary to popular belief, the greatest European free-kick taker of all time isn’t Ronaldo, but the late, great Sinisa Mihajlovic. After starting off as a midfielder in Serbia, Mihajlovic then transitioned into a defender for Italian clubs Roma, Sampdoria, Inter Milan, and Lazio. But despite moving deeper in the pitch, Mihajlovic remained an attacking threat with a Serie A record 28 free-kick goals. He sits level with Juninho (72), who pioneered the bending knuckleball technique during his time at Lyon and is widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest free-kick taker of all time.
4. Roberto Dinamite
- Free-kick goals: 73
He may have never won anything with the Selecao, but Roberto Dinamite’s name is etched in stone in Brazil’s footballing history. Dinamite developed at Vasco da Gama’s academy and spurred them to their maiden Brasileirão title in 1974 before earning a move to Barcelona, where he spent just one year before returning home. He spent the final 12 years of his career at the Gigante da Colina, apart from brief loan spells with Portuguesa and Campo Grande, and he remains Vasco’s all-time scorer (708) and appearance-maker (1,110), as well as one of the greatest free-kick takers ever.
3. Jair
- Free-kick goals: 74
He was too young to compete in the first three World Cups, but Jair certainly made his presence felt in the fourth edition. After spearheading Brazil to victory in the 1949 Copa America, Jair led his nation to the 1950 World Cup final, but he was unable to come up with the goods as they lost to Uruguay on home soil. Jair spent six years away from the national team before finally returning for a two-game swan song in 1956. He retired in 1963 at the ripe age of 42 after a quarter-century of professional football, one that saw him bamboozle quite a few goalkeepers with his remarkable free-kick placement.
2. Lionel Messi
- Free-kick goals: 76
At 39 years of age, it’s hard to find a record that Messi hasn’t broken. He’s the most decorated player in football history with 46 team trophies, and he’s also the highest assist provider in football history. And after becoming the first player in MLS history to win back-to-back MVPs, he’s now seeking a new title: the greatest free-kick taker of all time. Messi added to his tally against Columbus Crew, launching a rocket from a near-impossible angle and somehow finding the top-left corner. That’s now seven free-kick goals in 2026 for Messi, who looks poised to clinch the all-time record this season.
1. Marcelinho Carioca
- Free-kick goals: 78
Marcelinho Carioca is the greatest free-kick scorer of all time with a whopping 78 goals, and it’s no surprise that he was given the moniker Pe de Anjo (Angel’s Foot) for his diverse breadth of set-piece finishes. He is a Corinthians legend, having scored 206 goals in 420 matches for the Timao and winning eight trophies across his four spells. However, he never quite blossomed for the national team due to his constant fallings out with national team coaches, earning just four Brazil caps before eventually retiring from football in 2009.