Lionel Messi: The greatest free-kick taker of all-time?
GOAL takes a look at the Inter Miami star’s latest free-kicks and where he ranks among the best to do it
It felt like a moment of destiny, one that few players other than Lionel Messi have been able to conjure up quite so often. There he was, the player seen by many as the greatest of all-time, standing over the ball in another big moment. On his Inter Miami debut, his true introduction to North America, Messi buried a free-kick in the last minute to seal a win for his club in their first Leagues Cup match.
A moment of destiny, another goal that felt like fate. It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime goal. Messi’s first impression on American shores was him producing the impossible.
And then, just 16 days later, he did it again. Similar scenario, similar result: Messi standing over the ball, picks his spot, crowd goes wild. In his first four games in Inter Miami’s pink shirt, Messi buried two free-kicks, with both coming after the 85th minute with the game in the balance.
Would you expect any less? Well, if you’ve been following Messi throughout his career, probably not. It’s what he does, after all. But where does Messi rank among the best of all-time when it comes to those heroic set-pieces? And, as he adjusts to life in MLS, is there any chance that he can prove himself as the league’s best-ever free-kick taker, even at age 36?
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