Lionel Messi has continued to strengthen his reputation as one of football’s greatest set-piece specialists after moving into second place on the all-time list of direct free-kick scorers.
The Argentine superstar recently reached 75 free-kick goals in his professional career, putting him just three goals behind Brazilian legend Marcelinho Carioca, who remains at the top with 78.
Messi’s latest rise has been driven largely by an impressive 2026 campaign. He has scored six direct free-kicks this year, allowing him to overtake several renowned specialists from previous generations.
Messi closes in on the record
Messi’s progression up the free-kick rankings has been particularly notable because of how far behind Cristiano Ronaldo he once was.
In 2017, Ronaldo had 53 direct free-kick goals while Messi had scored 34. The significant difference at the time made it difficult to imagine Messi eventually moving comfortably ahead of his long-time rival.
However, Messi’s improvement from set pieces during the latter stages of his career has dramatically changed the standings.
The Inter Miami forward now has 75 free-kick goals, while Ronaldo is listed with 64. Messi’s latest goal came against San Diego FC in September, when he curled a free-kick into the net during Inter Miami’s 2-2 MLS draw.
Ronaldo remains ninth
Cristiano Ronaldo remains among the leading free-kick scorers in football history despite sitting several places behind Messi.
The Portugal captain has 64 direct free-kick goals and occupies ninth position in the latest ranking. He is ahead of players such as Zico and Diego Maradona but behind several historic set-piece specialists.
Ronaldo’s free-kick numbers were particularly impressive earlier in his career, although his position on the list has been affected by the continued rise of Messi and other players with substantial free-kick records.
Marcelinho still leads
At the top of the standings is former Brazil international Marcelinho Carioca, who has been credited with 78 direct free-kick goals.
That leaves Messi only three goals away from matching the record and four from moving outright into first place.
Messi has already demonstrated that he remains capable of scoring from dead-ball situations. Earlier in 2026, he scored two direct free-kicks in Inter Miami’s 7-1 victory over CF Montréal, helping push his career total further up the historical standings.
Full list of leading free-kick scorers
The latest ranking of the leading direct free-kick scorers includes several of the most famous names in football history:
- Marcelinho Carioca – 78
- Lionel Messi – 75
- Jair Rosa Pinto – 74
- Roberto Dinamite – 73
- Juninho Pernambucano – 72
- Marcos Assunção – 68
- Siniša Mihajlović – 67
- Jorge Aravena – 65
- Cristiano Ronaldo – 64
- Zico – 62
- Diego Maradona – 61
- Rogério Ceni – 59
- Ronaldinho – 57
- Shunsuke Nakamura – 56
- David Beckham – 53
- Alessandro Del Piero – 53
- Franz Binder – 50
Messi within touching distance
Messi’s position has added another chapter to the long-running comparison between him and Ronaldo.
While both players have accumulated extraordinary numbers throughout their careers, their free-kick records have taken different paths. Ronaldo held a sizeable advantage in this category during the earlier part of their careers, but Messi has gradually overturned that gap.
With 75 goals already recorded from direct free-kicks, Messi needs only three more to draw level with Marcelinho’s 78.
The record therefore remains within reach as the Argentine continues his career with Inter Miami.
For Ronaldo, meanwhile, the latest ranking places him ninth among the game’s most prolific direct free-kick scorers, with 64 goals to his name.
