Interesting watch
It's Juninho
Messi lacks variety
No mention of Beckham
JWP is the best FKT ATM
Messi lacks variety
No mention of Beckham
JWP is the best FKT ATM
Tifo IRL: Who is actually the best free-kick taker of all time?
- Thread starter horsechoker
- Start date
Interesting watch
Is that just for shooting? Surely delivery is a big part of being a great free kick taker
First place checks out but not mentioning becks is strange, he's up there for sure.
I would say they didn't take into account the occasions on which the fk's were taken. To my mind Becks scored them in high pressure games.
Yeah, the ones against Madrid and barca come to mind.
I think Becks is eliminated in the arguments for variety of free kicks. Don't think Becks hit knuckleball free kicks, or with top spin from close in. Most of his free kicks were from longer range with his wicked side spin.
Greece too.
He had a bit of topspin from what I can remember, similar to Ward Prowse at the moment. The issue here is just the sheer lack of data from his time, however if anyone would have asked I would have said Juninho is the best I've seen
That guest is one hell of a Debbie Downer.
He really does sound miserable that there isn't anyone like Juninho anymore, even Messi is shi*e to him
I'm sad at no mention of Sehad Salihovic, he was a great free kick takers at Hoffenheim. I'm sure he scored plenty from close and long range.
It has to be the easiest question in Football history.
For me it will always be David Beckham. I remember being laughed out of the office a few years ago saying he was the best.
I guess it would most likely be between Juninho and Becks.
I guess it would most likely be between Juninho and Becks.
Juninho is the obvious. He could hit a freekick the way fish take to swimming
It still makes no sense how he would combine power, precision and total control of spin. He also mastered all the kicking techniques.
Becks the best in the PL, however there are a few candidates outside of the PL to rival him I would say.
Marcos Assunção was very good at them.
I was thinking Juninho when I saw the thread title.
Its Juninho and no one even comes close. He was doing those knuckleballs when nobody even knew what it was or paid enough attention to it then Ronaldo started doing it and all of a sudden, the pundits, commentators were like woah what was that ? How did he do that ? Loved Ronaldo but I’m still kinda pissed to this day Juninho didn’t get enough credit his genius deserved. He was the OG. The man was hitting them every angles and from almost halfway lines . You hear the phrase Jaw dropping loosely nowadays but man Juninho’s freekicks were seriously just that. I was in awe.
. You hear the phrase Jaw dropping loosely nowadays but man Juninho’s freekicks were seriously just that. I was in awe.
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I know few Brazilians who argue that Marcelinho Carioca is better than Juninho. But than again some Brazilians can be crazy as they used to say Reinaldo is better than Luis Ronaldo. Or Roberto Dinamite is better than Kaka.
JWP is obviously brilliant at them but I seen MTF with Neville and Carragher I think it was analysing where he scores from and they're all pretty much from the same spot and score into the same corner every time. Lacks variety basically
I always felt Juninho was the best, but a few years ago I saw a few free kicks from Marcelinho Carioca and wow. I think he is the best.
This Marcelinho Carioca top 30 compilation has multiple Roberto Carlo style free kicks and classical close range free kicks. Number 5 is one of the greatest close range free kicks I've ever seen and 13, 11, 8 (Juninho in the wall), 6 and 3 has insane outside swerves.
This Marcelinho Carioca top 30 compilation has multiple Roberto Carlo style free kicks and classical close range free kicks. Number 5 is one of the greatest close range free kicks I've ever seen and 13, 11, 8 (Juninho in the wall), 6 and 3 has insane outside swerves.
No mention of Becks is weird, I'd say even weirder there's no mention of Predrag Mijatović that man certainly could take a free kick and for a keeper Jose Chilavert who even scored a free kick from the half way line
Beckham could score from a variety of positions though. Some freekick takers are only good on one side of the pitch, Becks could score from the middle, left and right side of the pitch. He also scored many close range freekicks.
Messi doesn't really have variety in how he takes them yet is clearly one of the best at the as is Beckham.
I saw the video, the specialist guy definitely dreams of banging Juninho
I always wonder if the weight of footballs plays a big part in why we don't see as many masterful freekicks.
I haven't played with a professional ball in years but back in't day they were weightier and you could get so much top spin if you hit them right. I used to love hitting volleys against friends and seeing the ball dip at the right moment.
I only watch nowadays but the balls seem to fly more like an arrow and it looks harder to get them to dip at the right moment. Beckham's freekicks were all about combining side spin with dip.
I haven't played with a professional ball in years but back in't day they were weightier and you could get so much top spin if you hit them right. I used to love hitting volleys against friends and seeing the ball dip at the right moment.
I only watch nowadays but the balls seem to fly more like an arrow and it looks harder to get them to dip at the right moment. Beckham's freekicks were all about combining side spin with dip.
I think the best ever would be Juninho.
But I remember the likes of Beckham, Ronaldinho, Koeman, Pele, Maradona, Zico are also up there among the best ever.
Here’s the freekick top 10 ranking in terms of goals numbers I’ve found on internet:
1. Juninho - 77 goals
2. Pele - 70 goals
3. Legrottaglie - 66 goals
4. Ronaldinho - 66 goals
5. Beckham - 65 goals
6. Maradona - 62 goals
7. Zico - 62 goals
8. Koeman - 60 goals
9. Cena - 59 goals
10. Carioca - 59 goals
Ronaldo - 58 goals
Messi - 58 goals
So yeh, believe or not, Ronaldo and Messi could still get into top 10 greatest freekick taker.
But I remember the likes of Beckham, Ronaldinho, Koeman, Pele, Maradona, Zico are also up there among the best ever.
Here’s the freekick top 10 ranking in terms of goals numbers I’ve found on internet:
1. Juninho - 77 goals
2. Pele - 70 goals
3. Legrottaglie - 66 goals
4. Ronaldinho - 66 goals
5. Beckham - 65 goals
6. Maradona - 62 goals
7. Zico - 62 goals
8. Koeman - 60 goals
9. Cena - 59 goals
10. Carioca - 59 goals
Ronaldo - 58 goals
Messi - 58 goals
So yeh, believe or not, Ronaldo and Messi could still get into top 10 greatest freekick taker.
Taking shots from free kicks is massively overrated imo. Great when it goes in but the success rate is poor, even for the best in the business.
He scored so many because nobody could see him
Juninho was probably the best I've seen, Ronaldo scored some spectacular ones but the fact he took 20 to score 1 screamer annoyed me in the end.
Bale came through at Southampton as a bit of a free kick specialist, and changed his style from Beckhams curling technique to the knuckleball technique and he actually scored some crackers, and considering he wasn't the main freekick taker during his career, he's got a fair few.
Still though, Juninho - never understood how he got it up and down so quickly with so much power, often making them bounce in front of the keeper.
Bale came through at Southampton as a bit of a free kick specialist, and changed his style from Beckhams curling technique to the knuckleball technique and he actually scored some crackers, and considering he wasn't the main freekick taker during his career, he's got a fair few.
Still though, Juninho - never understood how he got it up and down so quickly with so much power, often making them bounce in front of the keeper.
Mihaijlovic was good too!
So its only based on amount of scored, i mean there are few names weirdly not mentioned.
I'm sorry but that's horrible.
These numbers seem kinda nutty to me? 50+ career free kicks scored for so many players?
I can't imagine many have scored that many penalties?
14 players scored 50 or more penalties.
That guy was so boring I could only watch about 10 seconds of it.
So the best/most dangerous I've seen without looking at stats.
Juninho
Ceni
Del Piero
Beckham
Recoba
Mihjailovic
Messi
Ronaldinho
JWP
Pirlo
Ronaldo
Roberto Carlos
Riquelme
So the best/most dangerous I've seen without looking at stats.
Juninho
Ceni
Del Piero
Beckham
Recoba
Mihjailovic
Messi
Ronaldinho
JWP
Pirlo
Ronaldo
Roberto Carlos
Riquelme
I would have thought so too. Where to Recoba and Mihajlovic place? Even Mihajlovic's corners were incredibly dangerous.
Feck me this is some list of players. I’d add Ricardo and Zidane also
Unsurprised it’s Juninho
Nakamura was good as well. Remember him scoring some belters for Celtic. One of them was against us as well in the CL.
Nakamura was good as well. Remember him scoring some belters for Celtic. One of them was against us as well in the CL.
Juninho is such a hipster choice. He lives off of those 2 famous knuckleball free kicks.
You cant beat Beckham for his sheer quality. Even his non direct free kicks were always on the money. So many dangerous corners too.
Messi is the best in terms of modern day. The amount of free kicks he scored at Barca was insane.
You cant beat Beckham for his sheer quality. Even his non direct free kicks were always on the money. So many dangerous corners too.
Messi is the best in terms of modern day. The amount of free kicks he scored at Barca was insane.
The expert dismissing decision-making a bit too readily in favour of pure striking technique. Exploiting keeper positioning, gaps in the wall and ability to score in either corner, high and low, should not be dismissed.
I was also surprised Nakamura Shunsuke was not mentioned. While he didn't do knuckleballs, his had substantial dip combined with side spin.
I was also surprised Nakamura Shunsuke was not mentioned. While he didn't do knuckleballs, his had substantial dip combined with side spin.