A look at the current best active free-kick takers in the world, ranked primarily by their output and effectiveness in recent years.
1. Lionel Messi The undisputed king. With 69 career free-kick goals, Messi remains the most prolific active free-kick specialist. Only a handful of players in history have scored more. He may not be converting them at the same rate as his Barcelona peak, but he still delivers when it matters — including three for Inter Miami in 2025, one of which came in a standout Club World Cup win over Porto.
2. Dominik Szoboszlai The Hungarian star has quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous dead-ball specialists in Europe. Known for both thunderous long-range strikes and clever under-the-wall chips, Szoboszlai scored multiple free-kicks in recent seasons, including a memorable winner against Arsenal. His technique and variety make him a constant threat.
3. Bruno Fernandes The Portuguese midfielder has become Manchester United’s go-to free-kick taker. While not wildly prolific, he’s trending upwards — scoring three last season and already one in 2025-26. His set-pieces have rescued crucial points in chaotic matches against Everton, Arsenal, and Bournemouth.
4. Hulk Still going strong at 39, the Brazilian veteran scored four free-kick goals in the 2025 Brazilian season, taking his career tally to 32. Hulk’s power and precision remain elite, even late in his career.
5. Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool’s right-back has made free-kicks his calling card. He’s scored eight for the club — usually good for one or two a season. His technique is world-class, though it remains to be seen how often he’ll get to take them at Real Madrid given the competition in the dressing room.
6. Cristiano Ronaldo The legend has been off his best free-kick form for years. He scored only one of his last 49 attempts and none in 2025. Still, on the biggest stage (like the World Cup), a presentable chance from Ronaldo still carries that familiar sense of anticipation.
7. Declan Rice The England midfielder has only scored two career free-kick goals — but what goals they were. One was nominated for the Puskas Award, the other could have been. Both came against Real Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final. His deliveries from dead-ball situations are also world-class.
8. James Ward-Prowse The Premier League’s dead-ball maestro has struggled for minutes since moving to West Ham and hasn’t scored a direct free-kick in nearly three years. His last was a match-winner against Chelsea in Southampton’s doomed 2022-23 season. Still, few would bet against him rediscovering the magic if given regular games.
9. Hakan Çalhanoğlu Once one of the most feared free-kick takers, Çalhanoğlu scored nine in a single season for Bayer Leverkusen (2014-15). He was deadly at Milan too, but has only scored one in the last five seasons. The stats no longer match the reputation.
10. (Honourable Mentions) Players like James Maddison, Lucas Paquetá, and Bukayo Saka have shown occasional brilliance from set-pieces, but none have yet reached the consistent output to crack the top tier.
