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Set-pieces are a very important part of football. Most teams today cannot afford to be on the pitch fancying their chances without a good free kick taker or dead-ball specialist. In a difficult game where attacking teams are finding it hard to upend the opposition's defence, a well delivered free kick could prove to be a source of a breakthrough.
As such, free kick specialists have a special place in world football. Don't believe me? One look at the legacy of great players like David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Juninho, Ronaldinho, to name a few, might cause you to change your mind.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top freekick takers in football right now.
Top 10 free-kick takers in Europe right now
#10 Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn't been around for a long time. But he's been around long enough for us to know that he is one of the brightest young prospects in world football right now. The 21-year-old Liverpool right back is a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side that are the reigning Champions League winners and current Premier League champions.
With crosses and free kicks that curl and hit the target with a David Beckham-esque flair, Trent Alexander Arnold's stature as a threat from dead ball situation is growing. On their last home game of the season against a relentless Chelsea side, both these qualities of his were on show and it made for great watching.
The young Englishman has scored only 5 free kicks so far but he's only been around for a little more than 2 years and the way he puts them in the top bins, you could say that he is here to stay.
#9 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is perhaps here more due to his past exploits than his present. However, leaving out a man who has scored 46 goals directly from set-pieces does not seem fair. In fact, there was a time, not so long ago, when Cristiano Ronaldo's set-piece skills were unmatched.
Famous for popularizing the knuckleball, the Portuguese legend is known for blasting balls into the top bin leaving goalkeepers rooted to the spot. However, it is a rare quality of his that has aged well. Having scored only 1 goal from a direct free kick over the past 2 seasons, Ronaldo does not make it farther than #9 on our list.
#8 Hakan Calhanoglu
Hakan Calhanoglu has scored some free kicks that just shouldn't have been scored. He is defiant like that. He has not been at the prime of his powers recently, having scored just one direct free-kick so far this season.
However, not so long ago, in the 2014/15 season to be precise, Calhanoglu lining up to take a free kick meant that the goalkeeper would have to fetch the ball from the back of the net. He scored a whopping 9 goals solely from free-kicks that season.
Ever since the restart, Calhanoglu has looked like a rejuvenated player and that could mean that he's sharpening all the tools in the box once again.
He has scored 24 goals from direct free-kicks in his club career.
How's this for outrageous:
#7 David Alaba
David Alaba continues to be a threat from direct free-kicks. His left-foot has benefitted Bayern Munich quite often and he has been in good form this season and has netted 2 goals from dead-ball situations.
Alaba himself has talked about how he has worked on set-pieces. Last year, he said,
“I started working on my free-kicks from a young age. Mehmet Scholl was my coach in the reserve team, and he made a lot of time for me. He really helped me refine my technique.”
“Lewy and I often stay out on the pitch during the week, practising free-kicks,
“Twenty minutes at least – sometimes half-an-hour.
Mehmet Scholl was a free kick maestro back in the day, scoring at least 13 goals (official records weren't kept before 1993 when he had already bagged 16 goals) from free kicks during his time with Bayern Munich.
The Austrian international has now 11 goals from direct free kicks in his career.
#6 Kevin de Bruyne and Dani Parejo
Kevin de Bruyne is one of those players who can do it all. Assists, goals, free kicks, right foot, left foot... let's not even go there. The Belgian international is an incredible technician and precision is the name of his game.
De Bruyne has been one of Manchester City's go-to free kick takers in a team packed with players who can deliver from deadball situations. KDB has scored 12 direct free-kicks just as many as Dani Parejo has scored.
The veteran, Parejo, who plays for Valencia has been extremely effective from set-pieces as well and is easily one of the best free kick specialists in the La Liga. He has scored 2 free kicks each in the last 2 seasons.
#5 Paulo Dybala
It almost looks like Paulo Dybala's mission this season was to prove to Juve how much they would have regretted it if they had let him leave last summer after he came very close to moving to Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Paulo Dybala has been one of the finest free kick takers in Europe for years now and it would be safe to say he has the second best left foot in the world right now.
The 26-year-old attacking midfielder has got 13 direct free kick goals to his name and it doesn't look like his technique will abruptly betray him any time soon. That means that there will be more beautiful free kicks for us to witness.
#4 Neymar Jr.
Neymar has scored some absolute blinders from set-pieces. But none is more memorable than his almost impossible free kick for Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain on that fated night.
The Brazilian whose future is the topic of much discussion these days continues to be one of the best players in the world and has scored 15 direct free kicks in his career so far. And that's just one of his lesser used qualities.
Neymar's often puts the perfect amount of weight and swerve on his freekick and the balls nestling in the top corner is a joy to watch.
#3 Aleksandar Kolarov
Known in some circles as the Serbian Roberto Carlos, the 34-year-old left back is fit to be talked about in the same breath as the legendary Brazilian when it comes to free kicks.
The former Manchester City player continues to be formidable from set-pieces and over the last few seasons, he has been one of the best free kick takers in Europe. He has already scored 3 direct free kicks this season alone for his club.
Kolarov can strike them from quite a distance and is also good at just drinking the ball above the wall and into the net from right outside the box as well.
#2 Miralem Pjanic
Miralem Pjanic is going to Barcelona at the end of the season. However, he has served Juventus well enough and has blessed them with some outrageous free kick goals. Hence, it wouldn't be wrong to say that he will be missed by the Bianconeri.
The 30-year-old has been alternating with others including Paulo Dybala on free kick duties but he has been more successful with them over the course of his career than his teammates.
Pjanic has scored 22 direct free-kick goals in his career and the Cules will be hoping that he can produce more of the same at Camp Nou. Oh wait, maybe not yet because they already have...
#1 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi did not start off as a free kick specialist. It's just another skill that he picked up on the way. Perhaps the greatest modern day footballer alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi has been the best free kick taker in Europe for a while now.
He has scored an incredible 48 direct free kick goals for Barcelona. He has already scored 5 this season and 8 each in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons. Those are ridiculous figures. But then again almost all the figures that exemplify Messi's greatness are ridiculous.
Lionel Messi is nearly unstoppable from free kicks and when he decides to find the top bins from set-pieces, goalkeepers often end up being mere spectators.
