10) Rivaldo
One of the best players in the world during the late 1990s, Rivaldo, like most on this list, had a quite delicious left foot. Often he made use of this from set-piece situations, both for club and country. Below is a stunner for Barcelona against Turkish outfit Fenerbahce.
9) Pele
Football royalty that he is, it is often forgotten just how good at free kicks Pele was, particularly those just outside the area, which were hit with fierce power and swerve. Not many players have scored free kicks in successive World Cups, but ‘The King’ did, with this effort against Romania in 1970 particularly noteworthy.
8) Eder
A star member of the brilliant 1982 Brazil team, which also included Socrates, Falcao, Cerezo and Junior, Eder was known as ‘The Cannon’ due to his rocket of a left foot. During Espana ’82 he scored two wonder-goals, but he will be best remembered for his astonishing free kick that hit the bar against Argentina, and led to Zico breaking the deadlock. This is quite possibly the greatest free kick of all-time that never went in.
7) Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos has always been hit-and-miss with his free kicks, but he simply has to be on this list, purely down to the fact that he scored possibly the best free kick of all time against France during Le Tournoi in 1997. Everyone who witnessed this goal 'live' had the same reaction – pure disbelief!
6) Dirceu
The silky-skilled attacking midfielder spent the best part of a decade in Italy, where he became famous for his dead-balls, particularly during one season with Avellino in 1986/87 where he led them to a club-record eighth place with a whole host of free kicks. Dirceu played in three World Cups for Brazil, and scored this beautiful curler against Peru in 1978.
5) Branco
The dead-ball successor to Rivelino and Eder, and predecessor to Roberto Carlos, the left-footed Branco was one of the world’s free kick experts of the late 1980s and early 90s. The ex-Porto, Genoa and Middlesbrough left back used the valve of the ball in order to increase movement and swing. Booked Brazil’s place in the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup with this blockbuster against Holland.
4) JuninhoPernambucano
The midfielder is regarded by many to have been the world’s best free kick taker this decade. As of November 2008, the 33-year-old had scored an incredible 40 goals from direct free kicks during his seven years with French side Lyon, working out at just under six a season.
3) Rivelino
Feared by goalkeepers for possessing a disturbingly powerful left foot shot, a potency that earned him the nickname, ‘Atomic Kick’. One of the pioneers of the banana shot, due to his ability to swerve the ball obscene proportions, elastico-inventor Rivelino scored a truly unique free kick during the 1974 second round World Cup win over East Germany. Watch the video to below to see what 'Mr. Moustache' did.
2) Didi
Voted best player at the 1958 World Cup, Didi was one of the first Brazilian free kick masters. The ex-Fluminense, Botafogo and Real Madrid star was the inventor of the ‘dry leaf’ free kick, so-called because it would dip and swerve in unpredictable directions. Of the 20 goals he scored for the Selecao, a dozen came from dead-balls, including the one below in the 5-0 thrashing of Mexico at the 1954 World Cup.
1) Zico
The best player in the world during the early 1980s, few could curl a ball over a defensive wall with such unerring accuracy as Zico. The ‘White Pele’, who starred for Flamengo, Udinese, Sumitomo Metals and Kashima Antlers, scored one of the best World Cup free kicks against Scotland in 1982. While once playing for Udinese against Juventus, it took five minutes for him to take a free kick, as the Old Lady were so fearful they kept illegally pushing the wall forward.
What are your views on this topic? Do you agree with the list above? Who do you believe to be the best Brazilian free kick taker of all time? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think...
Carlo Garganese
One of the best players in the world during the late 1990s, Rivaldo, like most on this list, had a quite delicious left foot. Often he made use of this from set-piece situations, both for club and country. Below is a stunner for Barcelona against Turkish outfit Fenerbahce.
9) Pele
Football royalty that he is, it is often forgotten just how good at free kicks Pele was, particularly those just outside the area, which were hit with fierce power and swerve. Not many players have scored free kicks in successive World Cups, but ‘The King’ did, with this effort against Romania in 1970 particularly noteworthy.
8) Eder
A star member of the brilliant 1982 Brazil team, which also included Socrates, Falcao, Cerezo and Junior, Eder was known as ‘The Cannon’ due to his rocket of a left foot. During Espana ’82 he scored two wonder-goals, but he will be best remembered for his astonishing free kick that hit the bar against Argentina, and led to Zico breaking the deadlock. This is quite possibly the greatest free kick of all-time that never went in.
7) Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos has always been hit-and-miss with his free kicks, but he simply has to be on this list, purely down to the fact that he scored possibly the best free kick of all time against France during Le Tournoi in 1997. Everyone who witnessed this goal 'live' had the same reaction – pure disbelief!
6) Dirceu
The silky-skilled attacking midfielder spent the best part of a decade in Italy, where he became famous for his dead-balls, particularly during one season with Avellino in 1986/87 where he led them to a club-record eighth place with a whole host of free kicks. Dirceu played in three World Cups for Brazil, and scored this beautiful curler against Peru in 1978.
5) Branco
The dead-ball successor to Rivelino and Eder, and predecessor to Roberto Carlos, the left-footed Branco was one of the world’s free kick experts of the late 1980s and early 90s. The ex-Porto, Genoa and Middlesbrough left back used the valve of the ball in order to increase movement and swing. Booked Brazil’s place in the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup with this blockbuster against Holland.
4) JuninhoPernambucano
The midfielder is regarded by many to have been the world’s best free kick taker this decade. As of November 2008, the 33-year-old had scored an incredible 40 goals from direct free kicks during his seven years with French side Lyon, working out at just under six a season.
3) Rivelino
Feared by goalkeepers for possessing a disturbingly powerful left foot shot, a potency that earned him the nickname, ‘Atomic Kick’. One of the pioneers of the banana shot, due to his ability to swerve the ball obscene proportions, elastico-inventor Rivelino scored a truly unique free kick during the 1974 second round World Cup win over East Germany. Watch the video to below to see what 'Mr. Moustache' did.
2) Didi
Voted best player at the 1958 World Cup, Didi was one of the first Brazilian free kick masters. The ex-Fluminense, Botafogo and Real Madrid star was the inventor of the ‘dry leaf’ free kick, so-called because it would dip and swerve in unpredictable directions. Of the 20 goals he scored for the Selecao, a dozen came from dead-balls, including the one below in the 5-0 thrashing of Mexico at the 1954 World Cup.
1) Zico
The best player in the world during the early 1980s, few could curl a ball over a defensive wall with such unerring accuracy as Zico. The ‘White Pele’, who starred for Flamengo, Udinese, Sumitomo Metals and Kashima Antlers, scored one of the best World Cup free kicks against Scotland in 1982. While once playing for Udinese against Juventus, it took five minutes for him to take a free kick, as the Old Lady were so fearful they kept illegally pushing the wall forward.
What are your views on this topic? Do you agree with the list above? Who do you believe to be the best Brazilian free kick taker of all time? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think...
Carlo Garganese