Highlights

• The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Juninho are the scorers of some of the greatest free-kicks ever seen.
• Lionel Messi scored his 600th goal for Barcelona with a stunning curling free-kick against Liverpool in the Champions League.
• Roberto Carlos' free-kick against France is ranked as the greatest in football history.

Properly executed, the free-kick is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful goals that football is capable of offering. From close range, from afar, from the edge of the box, with both feet, direct or indirect: scoring a shot like this is never trivial and is the result of a lot of hard work. In the history of football, many players have proved to be masters in the art of scoring a free-kick.

From Lionel Messi, who is undoubtedly one of the best free-kick takers of the 21st century, to Pele and David Beckham, they have all brought a different way of handling what amount to genuine scoring opportunities. This article ranks the nine greatest free-kicks in the history of football.

Ranking factors

To select them, we decided to use a number of criteria, including:

• Context of the game
• Technical ability
• Level of difficulty/distance

9 Ernie Hunt vs Everton

03/10/1970, First Division

On the 3rd of October 1970, Coventry City's Ernie Hunt's free-kick against Everton wasn't particularly noteworthy for the power of its shot or its distance, but for its ingenuity. On the edge of the opposition box, Willie Carr caught the ball between his heels and lifted it with a short hop.

Hunt, who had obviously been watching, then fired the ball into the back of the net with a perfect, if far from easy, shot. It was such an unusual shot, dubbed the ‘donkey-kick’, that it was banned by the football authorities at the end of the season.

8 Mohd Faiz Subri vs Pahang FA

16/02/2016, Malaysian Premier League

The name Mohd Faiz Subri probably doesn't ring a bell - and that's almost to be expected. And yet, in 2016, the Malaysian was named winner of the Puskas Award, which is given each year to the most beautiful goal scored during the assessment period. It was a well-deserved recognition for the attacking midfielder who, on the 16th of February that year, scored a free-kick from out of the blue.

In a local league match between Peneng FA and Pahang FA, the right-footer scored with an incredible shot from over 30 yards on the left. The ball curved outwards and looked as if it might escape the net, but in the end it ended up in the back of the net with the opposing goalkeeper almost caught off guard.

7 Juninho vs FC Barcelona

25/02/2009, Champions League Round of 16

He is arguably the best free-kick taker of all time. In a career spanning just over 20 years, Juninho has never ceased to perfect his striking technique, scoring 77 in all competitions - he holds the all-time record for the number of free-kicks scored by a single player - and 44 of them for Olympique Lyonnais alone. It was with the legendary French club that the Brazilian surprised Barcelona in February 2009.

As the two teams met at the Stade de Gerland for the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie, the No8 was awarded a free-kick from a tight angle on the left of the Catalan penalty area. Victor Valdes, who had asked only two players (Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o) to take up positions in the wall, certainly wasn't expecting what was to follow. With a right-footed shot that only he could manage, the midfielder surprised the Blaugrana keeper with an unstoppable drive. Defeated, Valdes could only see the damage, ending up in the back of his own net.

6 David Beckham vs Greece

06/10/2001, World Cup Qualifiers

The goal of a lifetime. On the 6th of October 2001, as England hosted Greece in the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup, David Beckham graced the world with one of the finest free-kicks in history. It was a masterpiece as aesthetic as it was important, given that the Three Lions were, at that point in the match, condemned to the play-offs in their bid to reach the World Cup.

It was the final seconds of stoppage time when England's No7 prepared to take a final free-kick with his side trailing 1-2. The 26-year-old chose that moment to make his mark. With a curling shot from 25 yards, the Manchester United player brought Old Trafford, his home between 1992 and 2003, to its knees to qualify his team for the greatest football competition in history. A moment for the history books.

5 Hugo Almeida vs Inter Milan

01/11/2005, Champions League group stage

On the 1st of November 2005, FC Porto travelled to the San Siro to take on Inter Milan in the Champions League group stage. It was a match that took place in a rather special context, with the Nerazzurri's stadium empty due to a closed-door rule. The reason for this? A few months earlier, a fan had the idea of throwing a smoke bomb at Milan goalkeeper Dida, during the second leg of the quarter-final between the two rivals.

Hugo Almeida was not to be troubled, however, and that day he decided to break the silence of the Lombardy night. With a powerful 38-yard shot, the Portuguese striker rendered Julio Cesar helpless, and he could only watch as the supersonic shot flew into the top corner of his net.

4 Dimitri Payet vs Crystal Palace

02/04/2016, Premier League

On the 2nd of April 2016, the match between West Ham and Crystal Palace on Matchday 32 was supposed to be just another Premier League game. It was not. At Upton Park, under a spring-like sky, Dimitri Payet made lightning strike. Taking a 20-yard free-kick, the Frenchman scored one of the finest free-kicks in the history of the English league.

It was a strangely curved shot that initially looked as if the ball would fly into the stands. Instead, it fell past an incredulous Wayne Hennessey and into the back of the net. Payet may have only spent one season in England, but he left no one indifferent. 12 goals, nine assists and a nomination in the PFA Team of the Year 2016 for the Frenchman.

3 Cristiano Ronaldo vs Arsenal

05/05/2009, Champions League Semi-Final

Cristiano Ronaldo needs no introduction - his legend precedes him. On the 5th of May 2009, Arsenal and Manchester United faced off in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at Emirates Stadium. Beaten 1-0 in the first leg, the Gunners had no choice but to give their all to reverse the trend. But the Red Devils had other plans.

Ji Sung Park's goal quickly put them in front, and they took advantage of a feat by the Portuguese No.7 to extend their advantage. Taking a free-kick provoked by Robin van Persie 30 yards from goal, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner - who only had one at the time - unleashed a super-powerful floated shot that pierced the opposing goal. But perhaps Manuel Almunia could, or should, have done better.

2 Lionel Messi vs Liverpool

01/05/2019, Champions League Semi-Final

It is hard to imagine Lionel Messi finding a better way to score his 600th goal for Barcelona than the one he managed on the 1st of May 2019. Against Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, La Pulga once again treated the world to a performance worthy of the greatest.

With the Blaugrana already leading the Reds 2-0, the Argentinian completed his side's victory with a 27-yard free-kick that only he can manage. With three quick steps, the ball curved perfectly around the Liverpool wall and into the top corner of Alisson's net. It was a goal that would go on to win the award for the best goal of the season in the Champions League, but it would be tarnished by the scenario of the second leg and the incredible turnaround by Jurgen Klopp's side.

1 Roberto Carlos vs France

03/06/1997, French Tournament

Many consider this free-kick to be the finest in history. On the 3rd of June 1997, the French national team hosted the Brazilian Selecao at the Stade de Gerland as part of the French Tournament. The match ended goalless, but was made memorable by the incredible goal scored by Roberto Carlos.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Roberto Carlos has scored a total of 27 direct free-kicks in his career.

Taking advantage of a free-kick 40 yards from goal, the small Auriverde left-back took all the time he needed to prepare his shot. A run-up that seemed infinite, a powerful left-footed shot, a ball that skirted a wall of four players: the Real Madrid legend nailed Les Bleus goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, who could only contemplate his opponent's work of art.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt