Lionel Messi has added another rung to his football legacy, hitting 71 career free-kicks and passing Pel in the all-time list. He now ranks second.
It seems hard to ignore how far Messi has come - once known mainly for his dribbling, vision, and finishing, he's now turned free-kicks into a primary threat. What was once rare is now a consistent part of his gameplay.
This latest goal puts him past Pels 70 and brings him close to Juninho's 77, which is still seen as the standard for free-kick skill. Ronaldinho and Victor Legrotaglie are both at 66, tied behind them. The thing is, Messi doesn't just take the shot; he plans it like a strategist. Arguably, his precision makes free-kicks more valuable than ever. He's not just scoring - he's redefining how free-kicks are played in modern football.
All-time free-kick goals (top 5)
Here's the data formatted into a clean table:
| Rank | Player | Free-kick Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juninho Pernambucano | 77 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | 71 |
| 3 | Pelé | 70 |
| 4 | Ronaldinho | 66 |
| 5 | Víctor Legrotaglie | 66 |
Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami to victory
Legendary Lionel Messi displayed no signs of slowing down as he scored his career's 901st goal, powering Inter Miami to a 3-2 win over New York City on Sunday. New York City, who were undefeated in the ongoing MLS so far, were handed their first defeat in the league by Inter Miami. Messi, who remained calm under pressure, first squandered NYC's lead in the match by scoring an equaliser in the 61st minute.
The free kick by Messi was followed by a winner in the 74th minute by Brazilian Michael. Messi, who recently scored his 900th career goal, looked at his usual best during the match. Free-kicks havea special kind of tension,a momentbefore the shot,where the player's intentionis clear.The result is still unpredictable.Messi probably best captures that energy.
In his early years, set-pieces weren'ta big part of his game.Over time, he improved them until each free-kick within reach now looks likea real chance to score.Juninho still holdsthe record, but Messi is getting closer.There are only six goals between them, and he still has matches left. This might bethe most striking thing: Messi isn't just holding onto his name.He's changing what it means.
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