March 24, 2026 | 08:08 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - History has once again been made in world football after Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi officially surpassed Brazilian legend Pele's free-kick goals record.
According to a report from givemesports on Tuesday, Messi's free-kick goal in the latest MLS match against NYCFC brought his tally to 71 goals in his professional career.
This figure officially surpasses Pele's decades-long record of 70 free-kick goals.
This achievement places Messi in second place on the list of all-time leading dead-ball scorers.
La Pulga is now just six goals behind world record holder Juninho Pernambucano, who has 77 goals.
Lionel Messi still has a chance to equal or surpass Juninho's record, given Messi's consistent performance even at the age of 38. He also has a contract with Inter Miami until 2028.
Here's a list of the top 10 free-kick scorers of all time:
1. Juninho Pernambucano (Brazil): 77 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina): 71 goals
3. Pele (Brazil): 70 goals
4. Victor Legrotaglie (Argentina): 66 goals
5. Ronaldinho (Brazil): 66 goals
6. David Beckham (England): 65 goals
7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 64 goals
8. Diego Maradona (Argentina): 62 goals
9. Zico (Brazil): 62 goals
10. Ronald Koeman (Netherlands): 60 goals
Read: Lionel Messi Remains Undecided Over a 2026 World Cup Return
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