Greatest Free Kicks Ever Scored in Football

Free kicks in football often raise hopes that rarely get fulfilled. Fans hold their breath as a player prepares to take a shot from around 25 yards, the wall is set, and then usually the ball either hits the wall or drifts over the goal. Yet every so often, a free kick becomes legendary, remembered forever. Think David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo.

At FourFourTwo, experts gathered to select the top 20 free kicks ever, considering technical skill, impact, and sheer impressiveness. Shots assisted by a teammate’s pass were excluded, even though some, like Alan Shearer’s 2002 strike against Manchester United, nearly qualified.

The List of the 20 Best Free Kicks:

20. Dimitri Payet – West Ham vs Manchester United, 2016: A 30-yard curling strike that rattled the post and beat David de Gea in his prime. Though United eventually won the replay, this goal remains a classic.
19. Yohan Cabaye – Newcastle vs Manchester United, 2012: From further out than Payet’s, Cabaye’s free kick curled in off the crossbar at St James' Park amid swirling winds, making it unforgettable for Newcastle fans.
18. Declan Rice – Arsenal vs Real Madrid, 2025: The most recent entry, Rice scored two stunning free kicks in a Champions League quarter-final, including a near-post curler and an incredible “postage stamp” strike that sealed the win.
17. Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal vs Spain, 2018: Ronaldo’s slow-stepped, perfectly placed free kick helped Portugal complete a 3-3 comeback in the World Cup group stage, marking his first of three on the list.
16. Paul Gascoigne – Tottenham vs Arsenal, 1991: Gazza’s thunderbolt in the FA Cup semi-final came shortly after Arsenal had been crowned champions, helping Tottenham reach the final with a powerful strike to the top corner.
15. Neymar – Barcelona vs PSG, 2017: During La Remontada, Neymar’s near-post free kick brought Barcelona closer to an incredible comeback, setting the stage for one of the greatest nights in European football history.
14. Alex – Chelsea vs Arsenal, 2010: Known for his powerful shots, Chelsea’s centre-back Alex scored a fierce 30-yard free kick against Arsenal, surprising fans who expected a silky Brazilian style rather than raw power.
13. Juninho Pernambucano – Lyon vs Bayern Munich, 2003: Possibly the greatest free kick taker ever, Juninho's knuckleball from over 30 yards beat Oliver Kahn, showcasing his legendary technique.
12. Marcus Rashford – Manchester United vs Chelsea, 2019: Rashford struck a free kick with astonishing pace and dip, causing the ball to swerve unpredictably past Willy Caballero at Stamford Bridge.
11. Maynor Figueroa – Wigan vs Stoke, 2009: Taking a quick free kick from halfway, Figueroa caught the goalkeeper off guard and fired a perfect arrow into the net, scoring from an improbable distance.
10. Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United vs Arsenal, 2009: Ronaldo shocked everyone by scoring from 40 yards at the Emirates Stadium, a missile that left both fans and commentators in awe despite some luck with the goalkeeper’s error.
9. Ronaldinho – Brazil vs England, 2002: Ronaldinho's cheeky free kick from 35 yards fooled goalkeeper David Seaman, soaring into the top corner and defying expectations that it was a mere cross.
8. James Ward-Prowse – Southampton vs Wolves, 2022: Known for curlers, Ward-Prowse switched to a knuckleball from 35 yards, blasting it straight into the top corner without any chance of stopping it.
7. David Beckham – England vs Greece, 2001: Beckham’s iconic last-minute free kick secured England’s qualification for the 2002 World Cup and remains one of the most memorable moments in English football.
6. Hakan Calhanoglu – Hamburg vs Borussia Dortmund, 2014: From almost the halfway line, Calhanoglu stunned Europe with a shot so bizarre that the Dortmund keeper didn’t bother to set a wall, only to be beaten by its strange trajectory.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United vs Portsmouth, 2008: Using the distinctive yellow and purple Nike ball, Ronaldo delivered one of the Premier League era’s finest free kicks, a perfect combination of swerve and dip.
4. Dimitri Payet – West Ham vs Crystal Palace, 2016: Often cited as the Premier League’s greatest free kick, Payet’s shot dipped sharply at the last moment, landing perfectly in the top corner during West Ham’s farewell to the Boleyn Ground.
3. Mohd Faiz Subri – Pulau Pinang vs Pahang FA, 2016: A Malaysian league player, Subri stunned the world with an erratic free kick so unique it earned him the FIFA Puskas Award, the only time a free kick has won it.
2. Lionel Messi – Barcelona vs Liverpool, 2019: Messi’s 600th goal for Barcelona was a sublime free kick that gave his team a 3-0 lead in a Champions League semi-final first leg, a display of pure class.
1. Roberto Carlos – France vs Brazil, 1997: The ultimate free kick, Roberto Carlos’ shot bent impossibly wide before snapping back into the net. This banana strike remains the pinnacle of free kick mastery.