When taken by the right athlete, from the right location, free kicks can be some of the biggest threats for an opposing goalkeeper. This is why each team in the 2014 World Cup has a certain player that specializes in set pieces.
One of the most impressive things to do in soccer is to strike the ball just right in order to curl a ball over a defensive wall and get it up and down in a matter of 25 yards. Throughout the World Cup almost every team will be relying on free kicks to score. With the skill level of every player getting better year by year it is hard to score a typical goal.
A free kick can be a shot at the goal or taken for a cross. Either way watching the ball hit the back of the net after a perfectly executed set piece is a thing of beauty.
Watch for the following 10 players to make big noise for their respective countries on any and all free kicks.
[new page = Steven Gerrard, England]
10. Steven Gerrard, England
Gerrard has one of the strongest kicks in soccer. He is also quite accurate. His style of free kick, as seen below, is merely to blow the ball right past the goalie.
While he can curve the ball and add some finesse, his strength comes with his power. His downfall can typically be the defending wall in front of him but if he can get a clear shot at the net he will typically score.
[new page = Lionel Messi, Argentina]
9. Lionel Messi, Argentina
Messi is one of the most decorated strikers in soccer history. Him and Ronaldo make up the two best players in the game today. While he isn’t quite the free kick taker that Ronaldo is, he still knows how to bend the ball.
He is one of the best in the world at bending the ball over the top of a wall of defenders. Opposing teams that give him a chance just outside the box will surely regret it.
[new page = Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast]
8. Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast
Since joining Manchester City in July 2010, Toure has been one of the most effective free kick takers in the world. He is mainly a finesse kicker and can easily curve the ball over defending walls.
He prides himself on his ability to make opposing goaltenders look silly.
[new page = Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany]
7. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany
Schweinsteiger is just one of the many German players that can score on a free kick. He also happens to be the most reliable. He excels in close range situations and relies on his curve to avoid defending walls.
He has a great combination of power and control giving him the optimal free kick.
[new page = Keisuke Honda, Japan]
6. Keisuke Honda, Japan
Honda could be the most fierce free kick taker in the world. He will score on you and walk away as if nothing had happened. Still a young talent, his coming out party was in the last world cup when he scored two goals on separate free kicks to put Japan on the map as one of the most underrated national teams.
[new page = 5. Neymar jr., Brazil]
5. Neymar jr., Brazil
Neymar is younger than Honda but has already gotten double the recognition. This, however, is mostly because of his skills as a soccer player in general and not purely for his free kick skills. He has been compared to greats such as Ronaldinho.
What people don’t know is that he can also bend the ball rather well. He is a guy that scares opposing teams at any point in the game when he has the point, and yes that includes the free kick. At this stage in his life he is only getting better.
[new page = Andrea Pirlo, Italy]
4. Andrea Pirlo, Italy
Pirlo prides himself on having perfected the “knuckleball free kick.” He has been an Italian legend for years because of his ability on free kicks. He can easily put the ball in the back of the net but he is also one of the best at putting a ball on a teammate's head.
His specialty is long distance.
[new page = Diego Forlan, Uruguay]
3. Diego Forlan, Uruguay
Diego Forlan might have had the best free kick goal in the 2010 World Cup. He has also mastered the knuckleball. In the video below, he shoots the ball directly at the goalie but it moves back and forth in the air because of his striking ability. He is still young and could develop his set piece legacy more and more as time goes on. He is basically the Pirlo of Uruguay.
[new page = Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands]
2. Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands
Sneijder is the definition of finesse. He is typically known for his on ball playmaking skills but when taking a free kick he can place the ball in any area of the goal he chooses. He is one of the best at “bending it like Beckham.”
The goals in the video below show that he uses the goalies' momentum against them waiting for them to lean and making them look foolish.
[new page = Christiano Ronaldo, Portugal]
1. Christiano Ronaldo, Portugal
Ronaldo has one of the strongest kicks accompanied with a ridiculous curve. He bends the ball over the wall with ease and power. His free kicks have been the stuff of nightmares for goalkeepers.
He is the most complete player in the world and easily the most dangerous free kick taker. He has also been known to flop for calls because he knows how good he is at the free kick. Put him anywhere close to the goal and he will force a goalkeeper to make a miraculous save – or at least try.