It's one of the greatest moments for spectators and players alike: witnessing the perfectly struck dead ball. Free kick specialists are a dime a dozen in football. Beating modern keepers from distance has become an incredible art which very few possess. While players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos have occasionally produced the spectacular, there are very few who can consistently produce the goods. These are the 5 best free kick takers of all-time.
David Beckham is the greatest free kick specialist in EPL history.
David Beckham was next to unstoppable when it came to free kicks. The adage "bend it like Beckham" didn't come from nothing. Beckham scored 15 direct free kick durings his time with Manchester United, good for the most in Premier League history.
Alessandro Del Piero was a classy man.
Alessandro Del Piero is one of the few footballers who's credited with having scored 50 or more goals from direct free kicks. He's also one of the most consistent having played for almost 20 seasons with Juventus.
Zico is synonymous with free kick excellence.
How good was Zico at free kicks? He once scored a hat-trick in a Serie A match with three direct free kicks.
Sinisa Mihajlovic is the world's greatest unknown free kick specialist.
Sinisa Mihajlovic is certainly is lesser known name in the world of football. He spent his days playing as a defender, primarily for Lazio. However, Mihajlovic may have had the greatest left-foot the game has ever seen. He scored 28 free kick goals during his Serie A career, a number only matched by Andrea Pirlo.
The master, Juninho.
Simply the best. Juninho scored 44 direct free kicks for Lyon. He's credited with having perfected the 'knuckle ball' technique, and he scored from over 40 yards out on four seperate occasions. The man was in a different class.
