Who doesn’t love a good free kick? One of the most pleasing things about football is seeing a player perfectly kick that ball and beat the keeper from some distance as the fans in the stadium go wild with joy.
Goals are loved by everyone, but few are remembered with such fondness as a brilliant free kick. Roberto Carlos’ famous banana kick, Cristiano Ronaldo’s sensational hit vs Portsmouth, and most of David Beckham’s curlers - these goals are the stuff legends are made up of.
2016 saw some brilliant free kicks being taken, both at club and international level. Although it was an almost impossible task to narrow it down to just a few, here we look at the best of the lot –
#5 Dimitri Payet vs Manchester United
2016 was the year of Dimitri Payet. From sensational performances for his club in the Premier League to match winning goals in the Euros for his country, the French international did it all. Most recently, Payet scored another free kick for West Ham United against Liverpool at Anfield.
This sensational effort came against Manchester United at Old Trafford on the 13th of March. The midfielder hit the ball beautifully and beat David de Gea in front of the home fans to give his team a 0-1 lead in the FA Cup quarter finals. Although the game would ultimately end level and United would advance in the replay, Payet’s free kick was a memorable moment and definitely earns its place in the top 5.
Not only was the free kick very important in giving West Ham the lead, it was made even more special as Payet had beaten one of the best goalkeepers in the world from that distance with relative ease.
#4 Neymar vs Germany, finals of the Rio Olympics
What better occasion to score a fantastic free kick than in a final?
Although the Olympics are not as important in the footballing community as the World Cup or the Euros/Copa, Brazil’s humiliating loss to Germany two years ago in the World Cup was still fresh in the minds of many fans and thus no one was taking this game lightly.
Taking full advantage of the a foul that his team had won, Neymar stepped up to take a free kick in the first half of the game from a difficult angle. We all know by now what the Brazilian is capable of, but the Barcelona forward stunned Germany and sent his country’s fans into cloud nine as he curled his effort into the top corner. It hit the crossbar and went in as the goalkeeper had no chance of saving a free kick executed to near perfection.
Brazil went on to win the game and the gold medal, which made the goal even better.
#3 Lionel Messi vs USA
One of the best free kicks of the year comes from none other than one of the best players of all time.
In this year’s Copa America edition, Argentina were facing USA and were already leading 1-0 as they earned a free kick in an area from where not many people would directly score. Captain Messi placed the ball and took what was a ridiculous kick as the ball swerved into the top right corner from nearly 25 yards out.
There was no long run up, just two or three steps and the ball guided into the top of the net, rendering the wall and the keeper useless. This was one of the only two free kicks nominated for the Puskas Award this year, and for good reason.
#2 Philippe Coutinho vs Arsenal
The Premier League never ceases to amaze the audience. In the first game of the current season, Liverpool went to the Emirates and were a goal down as they earned a free kick almost 30 yards out of the goal.
The Reds’ little magician took it upon himself to get his team back, and he did it in the most spectacular way possible. Scoring a goal that his former captain Steven Gerrard would be proud of, the Brazilian’s kick saw the ball easily beat the wall and even the brilliant Petr Cech was left stunned as he could not reach it in time as the ball buried itself into the top left corner.
Coutinho is a master of long rangers, but even he would place that goal somewhere in his top 3 hits of all time. A brilliant goal to watch, this was easily one of the best free kicks of the year and the fact that it beat a legend between the posts makes its value higher.
#1 Faiz Subri vs Pahang (Malaysian League)
The second free kick to be nominated for the Puskas this year and one of the final three nominees, this effort was without a doubt THE best free kick of 2016.
The Penang midfielder lined the ball 35 metres out from the goal and hit it with immense ferocity, as the ball swerved from left to right, much like Roberto Carlos’ now immortal effort against France in 1997.
This free kick will perhaps never again be replicated. You just have to see it to believe it. If a more famous player in a more famous league would have hit something like this, then we would not have stopped talking about it for years to come.
Also Read: Top 5 free kicks in the EPL from the year 2016
Honorable mentions
Miralem Pjanic vs Switzerland – A master of free kicks, the Juventus midfielder scored a stunner for his country against Switzerland from a respectable distance. One of the most underrated goals of the year.
Payet vs Crystal Palace and Bournemouth – 2016 was definitely this man’s year. The goal against United ranks higher, but these efforts were sensational in their own right and are goals to be remembered.
Jordan Larrson vs AIK (Swedish league) – The son of the Henrik Larrson scored a peach of a free kick to lead his team to victory in the Swedish league.
