Posted by Chinenye on Wed 23rd Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
Lionel Messi is closing in on one of footballs biggest free kick records after adding six more goals in 2026.
(Lionel Messi. Photo Credit: FB/Inter Miami CF)
Lionel Messi is now second on the list of all-time free-kick goalscorers, sitting just three goals behind Brazilian legend Marcelinho Carioca's record of 78.
After scoring six free-kicks in 2026, the Argentine captain reached 75 career set-piece goals, passing legendary specialists like Juninho Pernambucano (72), Roberto Dinamite (73), and Jair (74).
This achievement marks a massive comeback in his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Back in 2017, Ronaldo was way ahead with 53 free-kick goals to Messi’s 34, leading many to believe Messi would never catch up.
However, Messi's free-kick form exploded in his thirties, allowing him to pull far ahead of Ronaldo, who currently sits in ninth place with 63 goals.
The top all-time free-kick scorers are Marcelinho Carioca (78), Lionel Messi (75), Jair (74), Roberto Dinamite (73), Juninho Pernambucano (72), Marcos Assunção (68), Siniša Mihajlović (67), Jorge Aravena (65), Cristiano Ronaldo (63), Zico (62), Diego Maradona (61), Rogério Ceni (59), Ronaldinho (57), Shunsuke Nakamura (56), David Beckham (53), Alessandro Del Piero (53), and Franz Binder (50).