Messi Jumps to Second on All-Time Free-Kick Scorers List, Ronaldo in Ninth Place

Lionel Messi has climbed to second place on the all-time free-kick goals list after a strong performance this year. He has overtaken several famous Brazilian players and created more distance from long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi now has 75 direct free-kick goals in his career, while Ronaldo has 63. This year alone, Messi scored six free-kick goals. This pushed him past Juninho Pernambucano (72), Roberto Dinamite (73), and Jair (74). Now, he is just three goals behind the record holder, Brazilian midfielder Marcelinho Carioca, who has 78.

These numbers show a big change from earlier in their careers. In 2017, Messi had only 34 free-kick goals compared to Ronaldo’s 53. A Yahoo Sports article back then said, "One of the records that Messi will never dare to break of Ronaldo," showing many thought the gap was too wide to close. Messi has improved his technique in his thirties and has now moved ahead.

Ronaldo, who is now 41 years old, remains in ninth place on the all-time list. While he might still pass players like Jorge Aravena (65), Siniša Mihajlović (67), and Marcos Assunção (68) before he retires, getting into the top five seems unlikely.

According to Planet Football, the full ranking of the leading free-kick scorers in football history as of Wednesday is:

1. Marcelinho Carioca, 78
2. Lionel Messi, 75
3. Jair, 74
4. Roberto Dinamite, 73
5. Juninho Pernambucano, 72
6. Marcos Assunção, 68
7. Siniša Mihajlović, 67
8. Jorge Aravena, 65
9. Cristiano Ronaldo, 63
10. Zico, 62
11. Diego Maradona, 61
12. Rogério Ceni, 59
13. Ronaldinho, 57
14. Shunsuke Nakamura, 56
15. David Beckham, 53
16. Alessandro Del Piero, 53
17. Franz Binder, 50

With Messi still playing and scoring free-kicks regularly, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is now close to Marcelinho Carioca’s long-standing record.