Free kick war: Ronaldo, Messi and the real ‘king’

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two names that are always put on the scale of comparison, but when it comes to the king of the free kick battle, these two superstars still have to stand behind another “king” – Brazilian legend Juninho.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – two of the world’s top football superstars, have had quite different journeys when it comes to free kick ability, especially at major international tournaments such as the World Cup and Euro/Copa America.

Cristiano Ronaldo quickly became famous for his free-kick goals during his early career at Manchester United. His unique ‘knuckleball’ technique became his trademark, with memorable strikes such as his strike against Portsmouth and his long-range strike against Arsenal in the Champions League. In his first five seasons at Real Madrid, Ronaldo scored 23 free-kick goals, establishing himself as one of the world’s leading free-kick specialists.

The battle to see who is greater between Ronaldo and Messi has always existed. Photo: GOAL.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, had a rather modest start in this field. By March 2012, when he had become Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, Messi had only scored 5 goals from free kicks. However, from then on, the Argentine superstar made great strides. He scored 7 goals from free kicks in 2012 alone and maintained an average of 6 goals/year for the next 7 years. The peak was in 2018 when Messi set a personal record of 10 goals from free kicks in a calendar year.

This remarkable turnaround in Messi’s race with Ronaldo has turned the tables. At the end of 2013, Ronaldo had 39 free kick goals compared to Messi’s 14. But from 2017-2019, Messi scored 23 free kick goals while Ronaldo only had 5. Currently, Messi leads with 65 career free kick goals, compared to Ronaldo’s 63.

CR7 only scored 1 goal out of 60 free kicks. Photo: The Mirror.

In major international tournaments such as the World Cup and Euro/Copa America, the gap between Messi and Ronaldo becomes even more evident. In 60 free kicks at the World Cup and Euro, Ronaldo scored only 1 goal, with a success rate of only 1.7%. In contrast, Messi scored 5 goals from 53 free kicks at the World Cup and Copa America, achieving a success rate of 9.4%.

This difference clearly reflects the contrasting development of the two superstars in their free-kick skills. While Messi has become more complete and effective, Ronaldo has tended to decline compared to the early stages of his career. This can be partly explained by the fact that Ronaldo has taken fewer free-kicks in recent years, due to the presence of professional teammates such as Bale, Modric, Pjanic and Dybala.

Messi has successfully taken 5/53 free kicks at the World Cup and Copa America. Photo: Opta Analyst.

However, when it comes to free kicks, it is impossible not to mention Juninho Pernambucano – who is considered the best free kick specialist of all time. In 507 matches of his career, Juninho scored a total of 124 goals, of which 77 were from direct free kicks. Notably, 4 of these goals were made from a distance of 35m or more, a feat that very few players can achieve.

Juninho not only scored many goals from free kicks, but he did so with a unique style and astonishing efficiency. His ability was so highly regarded that some people called him “the first player to score a direct free kick that was more notorious than a penalty.” Juninho’s achievements set a high standard for the generations of players that followed, including Messi and Ronaldo.

Juninho – the nemesis of every goalkeeper on free kicks. Photo: Getty.

The free-kick race between Messi and Ronaldo is a testament to the constant evolution of football. Messi, with his remarkable progress in the second half of his career, has surpassed Ronaldo to become one of the leading free-kick specialists today. However, both still have a long way to go before they can match the incredible achievements of Juninho Pernambucano – the man dubbed the “King of Free-kicks” in the history of world football.

Related Posts

Breaking new: Michael Jackson’s only son, Paris Jackson, broke down in tears when he spoke out after 20 years of silence. And our suspicions were right, Diddy was… see more

Paris has experienced several difficulties since the death of her father. But, the gifted young lady is currently pursuing her own singing career. Despite the ups and downs in her…

Read more

Arsène Wenger’s smile during the Emirates construction days in 2004, just about 20 years old

Arsène Wenger’s smile during the Emirates construction days in 2004, just about 20 years old. Arsène Wenger’s smile during the Emirates construction days in 2004, just about 20 years old….

Read more

Arteta does not think Arsenal’s win against Leicester is a big deal

Mikel Arteta has downplayed the significance of Arsenal’s win against Leicester City in the broader context of the Premier League season. The Gunners are in the title race for the…

Read more

Arsenal now want to sign ‘jet-heeled’ winger wanted by Man Utd, 6 goals & 3 assists this season – report

Arsenal are interested in signing Hammarby winger Bazoumana Traore, according to Mirror. The Gunners were recently monitoring Traore in action for Hammarby during their top-flight match against Hacken. Mirror now reiterate the club’s interest in the 18-year-old,…

Read more

Arsenal: Declan Rice responds to ‘cheating’ claims as set-piece kings secure another win

The Gunners have picked up crucial points from set-pieces this season and last Mikel Arteta’s side were the best team at set-pieces in the Premier League last season and have…

Read more

Arsenal and Man City: Rivalry Heats Up On and Off the Pitch

Arsenal and Manchester City: A Rivalry Reignited The long-standing rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City has reached new heights following their recent fiery encounter at the Etihad Stadium. What was already a competitive fixture has…

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DMCA.com Protection Status