Top 10 free kick takers

No10: Jose Luis Chilavert
South American goalkeepers are an eccentric bunch at the best of times – but none more so than this Paraguay legend. Beefy Chilavert prided himself on his dead-ball prowess, roaming upfield to slot home a number of free-kicks. Incredibly, he once scored one from inside his own half.

No9: Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos has been trying the same trick for far too long but when it works, it’s great. The Brazilian’s most famous free-kick came against France in 1997. He raced up 35 yards out and bent the ball around the wall with the outside of his left foot. Keeper Fabien Barthez didn’t move but the ball boy standing three yards wide of the post did because he thought the ball was coming straight at him. Still amazing to watch it swerve in.

No8: Paul Gascoigne
Gazza carved his name into North London’s football history with a stunning free-kick in Spurs’ 3-1 FA Cup semi-final win over Arsenal at Wembley in 1991.That screamer was one of a number in the England hero’s portfolio of dead-ball wizardry.

No7: Diego Maradona
The Argentina legend made his name with a number of stunning individual goals, as well as the odd handball. But people forget he was probably the most dangerous free-kick taker of his generation. From a one-step run up, the little left-footer struck goal after goal from a dead-ball position.

No6: Stuart Pearce
When Stuart Pearce strikes a football, it stays struck. And the tough-tackling left-back can boast a career full of bullet set-pieces. Pearce’s most famous effort came in the 1991 FA Cup final that put Nottingham Forest ahead against Spurs.


No5: Pierre van Hooijdonk
When he wasn’t going on strike or insulting homeless people, Pierre van Hooijdonk could take a mean free-kick. The sight of the lanky Dutchman running up to take one seemed harmless enough. But Celtic and Nottingham Forest fans will testify there have been few better in the game.


No4: Matt Le Tissier
Matt Le Tissier was the reason that games against Southampton in the 90s were anything but a formality. As well scoring dozens of astonishing strikes from open play, Le God was deadly from set pieces. His most outrageous strike came in 1994 against Wimbledon when he flicked the ball up before volleying in from 25 yards.

No3: Sinisa Mihajlovic
Your team sells its star player to a rival club and he returns the next season to score a hat-trick of free-kicks against you in one game. That’s what Sampdoria’s fans had to endure in 1998 when Sinisa Mihajlovic came back to haunt them with Lazio. It wasn’t a fluke either. The Serbian must go down as the greatest ever free-kick-taking defender.

No2: Juninho
No, not THAT Juninho. We’re talking about Lyon’s free-kick master Juninho Pernambucano. The Brazilian midfielder has carved out a reputation as the best in the modern game, lighting up Champions League nights with a string of stunning strikes from outside the box.


No1: David Beckham
When England needed him most, David Beckham delivered a superb injury-time free-kick against Greece to secure his country’s passage to the 2002 World Cup. While that remains Beckham’s golden moment, it was the best in a long line from his Manchester United and Real Madrid days. Amongst all the hype and fame, there has always been genuine talent.