Items25The creator’s order
  1. 1Juninho PernambucanoJuninho PernambucanoBorn 30 Jan 1975Juninho's years at Lyon made the long-range free kick a credible scoring chance. He trained the dipping, low-spin strike repeatedly rather than relying on a rare perfect hit. UEFA's account of his goal against Bayern shows the effect from more than 30 metres; the goalkeeper had to cope with late…0i
  2. 2David BeckhamDavid BeckhamBorn 2 May 1975Beckham's bent right-foot free kick is a useful study in repeatable mechanics. He scored 18 direct free kicks in the Premier League, the competition's record, and spread them across seven seasons. The shape of the run-up and the clean, wrapped contact sent the ball over or around a wall without…0i
  3. 3Siniša MihajlovićSiniša MihajlovićBorn 20 Feb 1969Mihajlović was a defender and midfielder whose left-foot free kick was a serious attacking weapon. UEFA described him as a feared specialist and, during his Lazio years, noted his Serie A record for direct free-kick goals. Watch the force of the strike alongside the placement: his threat changed…0i
  4. 4Lionel MessiLionel MessiBorn 24 Jun 1987Messi gives the short-to-mid-range curler an unusually clear example. His repeated Barcelona free kicks included the 2019 Champions League semi-final strike against Liverpool, when he bent the ball around the wall from a central position. The lesson is not that every free kick should become a shot:…0i
  5. 5Andrea PirloAndrea PirloBorn 19 May 1979Pirlo brought a playmaker's range of decisions to a stationary ball. At the 2013 Confederations Cup he scored with a curler on his 100th Italy appearance and also tried an effort under the wall. That variation is the point: the wall's jump, the goalkeeper's starting side and the distance all invite…0i
  6. 6James Ward-ProwseJames Ward-ProwseBorn 1 Nov 1994Ward-Prowse is a modern case for repetition over spectacle. He reached 17 Premier League direct free-kick goals with Southampton, one short of Beckham's record at the time, with many arriving across successive seasons rather than in one hot spell. His corners and wide free kicks mattered too.…0i
  7. 7Willian (footballer, born 1988)Willian (footballer, born 1988)Born 9 Aug 1988Willian scored four free kicks in the 2015/16 Champions League group stage and explained his method to UEFA: frequent short practice, then attention to the goalkeeper's stance before striking. That makes him useful to study beyond the highlight clip. His run-up is compact and the ball can move…0i
  8. 8Gianfranco ZolaGianfranco ZolaBorn 5 Jul 1966Zola scored 12 direct free kicks in the Premier League, a high total achieved without the same power-first style as some specialists. His Chelsea years show the value of disguise and placement around a wall. Watch the small changes in contact and target rather than a single trademark trajectory: a…0i
  9. 9Cristiano RonaldoCristiano RonaldoBorn 5 Feb 1985Ronaldo's knuckleball approach offers a contrast to Beckham's bend. UEFA describes his strike-through technique and a Champions League semi-final free kick against Arsenal whose swerve wrong-footed the goalkeeper. His penalty routine belongs in the comparison too, but the free kick is the better…0i
  10. 10Thierry HenryThierry HenryHenry combined two different dead-ball skills at Arsenal: he scored 12 direct Premier League free kicks and converted 23 of 25 league penalties. Those are different decisions. From a free kick he could bend around a wall; from the spot the contest narrowed to composure and placement against one…0i