Lionel Messi has made headlines once again by moving into second place on the all-time free-kick goals list. This achievement comes after a remarkable performance in 2026, where he scored six free-kick goals, bringing his total to 75. This milestone sees him surpass legendary Brazilian free-kick specialists such as Juninho Pernambucano, Roberto Dinamite, and Jair, who previously held higher positions on the list.

Messi's closest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, currently sits in ninth place with 63 free-kick goals. The Argentine's recent success marks a significant turnaround from their earlier careers; back in 2017, Messi had only 34 free-kick goals compared to Ronaldo's 53. At that time, many believed the gap was too large for Messi to close, but he has since refined his technique and dramatically improved his scoring ability.

The current rankings of the leading free-kick scorers in football history are as follows:

• 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
• Franz Binder – 50

With Messi still actively playing and consistently converting free-kicks, he is now within striking distance of Marcelinho Carioca's long-standing record. As the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to excel, fans around the world are eager to see if he can achieve this remarkable feat.