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There are hardly any sights on a football pitch that are more satisfying to watch than the ball being deposited in the back of the net from a direct free-kick. It takes an incredible level of skill to beat goalkeepers from range. It's even tougher when the keeper is prepared and expecting the shot to come at him.
A free-kick taker has to lift the ball over the wall and bring it down just enough so that it creeps under the crossbar. He still has to beat the goalkeeper though. Almost every football team has set-piece specialists. Some of these players are particularly good from direct free-kicks.
Players use various techniques to beat goalkeepers from a direct free-kick. Some like to curl the ball away from the keeper while others induce a lot of swerve and dip on the ball to confound them.
A great free-kick taker could prove to be the difference maker when two well-matched teams lock horns like they often do in tournaments like the Champions League. Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the most successful free-kick takers in UEFA Champions League history.
#5 Neymar Jr. - 5 direct free-kicks
Neymar Jr. is easily one of the most technically gifted players on the planet. The Brazilian international has a knack for making things look way easier than they're supposed to be. He slaloms past defenders with his tricky feet and bursts of pace and keeps goalkeepers guessing with his dynamic finishing.
Since he first broke onto the scene, Neymar has also been renowned for his set-piece abilities. The 29-year-old has always had a penchant for scoring free-kicks and his technique is incredible.
Neymar loves to curl his free-kicks into the top bin. He produces the right amount of curl and power on the ball and when he beats the goalkeeper, it is a wonderful sight to behold. Neymar has scored five direct free-kicks in the Champions League.
One of his most memorable ones is the 88th minute direct free-kick he scored in Barcelona's 6-1 win over PSG in the second leg of the 2016-17 Champions League Round of 16.
#4 Andrea Pirlo - 5 direct free-kicks
Andrea Pirlo is one of the best midfielders of all time. The Italian maestro always seemed to have more time on the ball than any other player. When he was in possession, it felt as though the game slowed down and he was in complete control of proceedings.
Pirlo is one of the most elegant midfielders to have graced the beautiful game. His ball retention abilities and passing range were exemplary and he could orchestrate play from a deep-lying position in midfield with ease. He was also an incredible set-piece taker and is one of the best of the modern era.
Pirlo has scored five direct free-kicks in the history of the UEFA Champions League. Pirlo, though, could go for power or placement or he could even do both at the same time. He hung his boots up in 2017 and managed his former club Juventus in the 2020-21 season.
#3 Lionel Messi - 5 direct free-kicks
Lionel Messi has arguably been the best free-kick taker in the world over the past several years. It is worth noting that Messi was not a set-piece specialist in the early phases of his career. The Argentine international started working on that particular aspect of his game later on.
But like almost everything else, he became the very best in the business at free-kicks once he started working on them. Messi's technique is also more about placement than power when it comes to free-kicks.
The 34-year-old has deposited the ball in the back of the net from a direct free-kick five times in the Champions League.
#2 Juninho Pernambucano - 10 direct free-kicks
Former Brazil international Juninho Pernambucano is considered by many to be the greatest free-kick taker in the history of the game. He was a set-piece specialist whose signature bending free-kicks were the stuff of nightmares for goalkeepers.
Juninho developed and popularized the knuckleball technique which is now being used by a number of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford etc. Few players understood how to manipulate a static or dead ball as well as the Brazilian did.
He has scored 10 direct free-kicks in the UEFA Champions League.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 12 direct free-kicks
Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick abilities might not be at the same level as they used to be. But while the Portuguese international was at the peak of his powers, scoring from set-pieces was such an important part of his game.
The 36-year-old also used the 'knuckleball' technique to great effect. He'd consistently bang the ball into the back of the net with an incredible amount of swerve and dip. Whenever Ronaldo gets his technique right, the goalkeeper stands no chance.
Ronaldo's thunderbolt from about 35 yards out against Arsenal for Manchester United in the 2007-08 Champions League was one of the best in the competition's history. He continues to take free-kicks even to this day but is not as effective as he used to be.
He still leads the active players on the list of most goals scored from direct free-kicks by quite a distance.
