Top five footballers with most free-kick goals since 2016

These players have been deadly from scoring from any range outside the box.

Freekicks are one of the beauties of the game of football. Every football fan will agree to it the fact that scoring a freekick is just another feeling. Players practice hard to perfect their skill of scoring a spot kick from distance. Freekicks are not as easy as penalties but are very important for a team. The importance of freekick has only increased with time. Now, teams and coaches are much more focused on getting freekicks. One reason for the fact is the increasing competition in the game and every opportunity is expected to be converted into a goal. The importance has increased so much that teams are not only grooming freekick tackers but also hiring coaches for especially this freekick practice. 

Over the years, Football has also produced many freekick Maestros like Beckham, Pele, Juninho, Ronaldinho, etc. Every player is with their iconic technique to take the spot kick which they mastered and perfected over their career. Some players are so perfect that they are identified with their freekick like the ‘Bend it like Beckham’ phrase used in praise for David Beckham and his iconic freekicks all around the globe. But let’s see who are leading the race in the most freekicks goals in the current period. 

**Top Five European Leagues only**

Aleksandar Kolarov - 8 (Retired)

The Serbian defender had an illustrious career, having won major titles in both England and Italy. His versatility in defence caught the eyes of many big clubs. It is not only that he is good with defence, with him also comes his freekick scoring ability. He has scored eight freekick goals since 2016, seven of which came during his time at AS Roma. His freekick talents has earned him the nickname ‘Serbian Roberto Carlos’. He rose to prominence with Lazio and was also part of the Premier League-winning squad of Manchester City in 2011/12. He then moved to Roma where he truly showed his spot kicks talent. His last stint was at Inter Milan in which he won the Serie A title. He retired from professional football in 2022.

Nabil Fekir - 9 (Real Betis/France)

The attacking midfielder is one of the best freekick takers in La Liga currently. He plays for Real Betis since 2019 when he was transferred from the French side Lyon. He has scored a total of 9 freekick goals since 2016. Fekir has been scoring freekicks since his Lyon Days. He is a World Cup and a Nations League winner with his National Team. He has also won the Copa Del Rey with Real Betis in 2022. 

Paulo Dybala - 9 (AS Roma/Argentina)

The Argentine international is next on the list with nine freekick goals since 2016. These nine goals came during his time with the Italian Giants Juventus. With Juventus, Paolo won many titles which included five Serie A titles and four Coppa Italia titles. He is also the all-time top goal scorer in the Supercoppa Italiana with a total of four goals and has also won the trophy three times. Dybala was included in the World Cup-winning squad of Argentina in 2022. He was one of the penalty takers in the penalty Shootouts in the final against 2022. 

James Ward-Prowse – 17 (Southampton/England)

The Southampton Midfielder has been in phenomenal form when it comes to taking freekicks. He is the best freekick take in the premier league right now. He has scored a total of 17 freekicks since 2016 which is impressive for any freekick taker. The 28-year-old player is a product of the Southampton Academy. He has risen to the rank of captain in the Southampton squad and has been the captain since 2020. A foul in any freekick area is always alarming for the opposite side when James Ward-Prowse is on your side.'

Lionel Messi - 26 (Paris Saint-Germain/Argentina)

Well, who other than the very best Leo Messi can be on the top of this list? La Pulga is known to be one of the best players to ever play the beautiful game and arguably the best one. Messi is known for his dribbling, Passing, assisting and practically everything. But over the years, La Pulga has developed himself to become a serial freekick scorer. His freekicks have become as lethal as basically his every move. The latest example is his last-minute freekick against the French side Lille. His technique for taking freekicks involves curving the ball to put it past the goalkeeper. A prime example of it would be his beautiful freekick against Liverpool in the Champions League Semi-final of 2018-19. It can be said with great confidence that if somebody wants to choose a player for a freekick goal, the player should be none other than Lionel Messi.