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Messi, 50 goals from free kicks for FC Barcelona

The Argentinian's beauty against Valencia completes a staggering half-ton of such goals in the blaugrana jersey

In the 67th minutes of Barça’s 3-2 win in Valencia, Leo Messi placed the ball 23 metres away from Jasper Cillessen’s goal. He took a few steps, never moving his gaze away from the Valencia posts. Deep breath, short run-up and the rest is history. Yet another perfect example from the Argentinian of the art of taking free kicks. 

 

It was the latest in a masterclass that began back on 4 November 2008. At the Camp Nou, in a league fixture against Atlético Madrid, he converted his first direct free kick in a Barça shirt. He’s gone on to do the same thing a total of 50 times. 

❗ Click on each little ball to see how, where and when he scored each of his 50 free kicks. 

 

By competitions

Liga: 39
Champions League: 5
Copa del Rey: 3
European Super Cup: 2
Spanish Super Cup: 1 

By opponent

Espanyol: 6
Athletic Club: 6
Sevilla: 5
Atlético Madrid: 3
Celta Vigo: 3
Deportivo: 2
Real Madrid: 2
Almeria: 2
Betis: 2
Villarreal: 2
Alavés: 2
Granada: 2

Sunday’s free kick was the first that Messi had scored against Valencia, a new victim on his list. 

Leo Messi, FC Barcelona's historic record breaker
The Argentine star is the top scorer, the footballer with the most games played, with the most titles, with the most wins...
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European champion

Fifty goals from free kicks is not just a record in La Liga. It is also more than any single player has scored in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A or Ligue 1.

Counting from the 2011/12 season onwards, for which full stats are available, the nearest anyone has come to Messi’s 36 league goals from free kicks are his current team-mate Miralem Pjanić with 16 and Cristiano Ronaldo with 14.

Meanwhile across all competitions and only in the last five years, the leaderboard looks like this:

Leo Messi: 27
James Ward-Prowse: 10
Neymar: 10
Paulo Dybala: 9
Angel Di María: 9

No wonder rival goalkeepers and defences alike start quivering in their boots the moment they see Messi lining up a free kick on the edge of the area. There is nobody in the game who is more lethal at turning such opportunities into goals!

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