Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has moved into second place on the all-time list of direct free-kick goals after surpassing several Brazilian legends.
The Argentina captain has now scored 75 direct free-kick goals during his career, putting him well ahead of his long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 63.
Messi scored six free-kicks in 2026, taking his career tally beyond Brazilian greats Juninho Pernambucano, Roberto Dinamite and Jair, who have 72, 73 and 74 goals respectively.
The 39-year-old is now just three goals behind fellow Brazilian Marcelinho Carioca, who leads the all-time list with 78 direct free-kick goals.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, remains ninth on the list with 63 goals.
The Portugal captain, who is 41, could still move higher before the end of his career, with Jorge Aravena on 65 goals, Siniša Mihajlović on 67 and Marcos Assunção on 68.
