Top 10 Free Kick takers in football (VIDEO)

Football is a game watched all over the world and attracts more and more audience as each day passes. You can score in a football match in many ways and one of them include scoring from a direct free kick. The art of the free-kick is one of the most mesmerizing in the game. While this has been hard for many players to achieve, some few players have made the task look so easy by scoring from free kicks any time they get the chance. Here are the names of football stars who have attained ultimate success at scoring from free-kicks, with consistency and longevity, through their careers. The ranking is based on a number of factors like conversion rate, the number of goals from dead-ball situations, and how long they've been doing it. Roberto Carlos The Brazilian superstar has scored 25 goals from direct free-kicks in his 11 years as a Real Madrid player. Carlos went down in history because of the incredible free kick against France in 1997, a goal that defied the laws of physics. Lionel Messi Messi has scored a direct freekick in five of the six club tournaments in which he has participated. The Argentine international has 26 in LaLiga, four in the Champions League, three in the Copa Del Rey, two in the UEFA Super Cup and one in the Supercopa de Espana. Overall this season, Messi’s success rate is 22 per cent. Andrea Pirlo Alessandro Del Piero was nothing less than a Juventus legend, a No. 10 of magnificent quality. His greatest attribute was his loyalty, a characteristic which ensures he will always be revered by supporters of the Bianconeri. Pirlo converted 43 direct freekicks throughout his career. He has widely been regarded as one of the best at conjuring up some real magic from the dead-ball situation, whenever his side needed him - club or country. Sanisa Mihajlovic The Serbian developed his skill in Italy and produced more than 50 goals from direct shots. His greatest feat was when he converted three freekicks in one game against Sampdoria. Cristiano Ronaldo Juventus forward has bagged 56 goals from direct freekicks so far. He managed 14 with Manchester United, 34 with Real Madrid and eight with the Portugal national team.  Ronaldo has scored the most in the Champions League, with 12. Diego Maradona The Argentine legend scored 62 goals from free kicks. He was one of the best in the game, if not the best of all time, and it was within his incredible reach to come up with something special from in and around the penalty area. David Beckham Beckham is one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. His ability to bend the ball into the back of the net had a lot to do with it. The England international scored 65 goals from freekicks throughout his career, including an absolutely special one for England against Greece at the Old Trafford. Ronaldinho A two-time FIFA World Player of the Year and winner of both the European Cup and Copa Libertadores, not to mention his 2002 World Cup triumph, Ronaldinho has had an outstanding career. The Brazilian’s ability to do a thing with the ball is unparalleled. That magic radiated every time he came in contact with the ball from free-kick situations, converting 66 throughout his career. Juninho Juninho scored 76 goals from direct freekicks. His best record was achieved with Vasco de Gama and Lyon. With the Brazilian team, he converted 18 and with the French side 44. In addition, he had produced another four with the Brazilian national team. Zico A wonderful striker of the ball, Zico matched tremendous technique with a lovely control and placement, which so often left the ball beyond the reach of opposing goalkeepers. Close to the penalty area, the Brazilian would embark on a mere two-step run-up, yet he could still generate as much or as little power as he felt the situation needed. Zico made 62 with Flamengo, 17 with Udinese, 15 with Kashima and seven with Brazil. The total figure rises to 101 goals from direct freekicks.

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