Messi Climbs to Second on All-Time Free-Kick Scoring List, Closes in on Record

Lionel Messi has moved into second place on the all-time list of direct free-kick scorers after another impressive year from set pieces, overtaking several legendary Brazilian specialists and extending his advantage over Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Argentina captain now has 75 direct free-kick goals in his career, while Ronaldo has 63. Messi’s six free-kick goals in 2026 have taken him beyond Brazilian greats Juninho Pernambucano, Roberto Dinamite and Jair.

Only Marcelinho Carioca, who leads the historical ranking with 78 direct free-kick goals, now stands ahead of Messi.

Messi’s rise is particularly notable given how far behind Ronaldo he once was in this category. In 2017, the Argentine had scored 34 direct free-kicks compared with Ronaldo’s 53.

At the time, a Yahoo Sports article questioned whether Messi would ever close the gap, but the Barcelona and Argentina legend subsequently developed into one of the most prolific free-kick specialists of his generation.

Messi’s improvement from set pieces has been especially significant during the latter stages of his career, allowing him to not only overhaul Ronaldo but also surpass several renowned free-kick experts.

Ronaldo, now 41, sits ninth on the current all-time list with 63 goals. The Portuguese forward remains within reach of Jorge Aravena, Siniša Mihajlović and Marcos Assunção, although a move into the top five would require a significant increase in his free-kick tally.

According to the ranking published by Planet Football, the leading direct free-kick scorers are:

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 continuing to threaten from dead-ball situations, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is now just three goals away from matching Marcelinho Carioca’s long-standing record.