Lionel Messi climbs to 2nd among soccer’s all-time free-kick scorers after scoring two in Inter Miami poker

Lionel Messi once again commanded global headlines with a majestic four-goal masterclass in Inter Miami‘s latest blowout victory. With two of those strikes coming directly from dead-ball situations, Messi moved into a tie for second place on soccer’s all-time direct free-kick scoring list.

Hosting Saturday’s MLS clash against CF Montreal with the match leveled at 1-1, Messi put on a show starting with a 40th-minute free kick to spark a dominant performance for the Herons. Initial questions arose over whether the attempt would be ruled an own goal by Luca Petrasso following a heavy deflection past goalkeeper Thomas Gillier, but because the initial shot was target-bound, MLS officials awarded the goal to the Argentine star.

Messi followed up with open-play goals in the 52nd and 83rd minutes to extend the margin to 3-1 and 5-1 before capping his four-goal performance with a sublime stoppage-time free kick, securing a 7-1 victory for Inter Miami. The performance vaulted him to the top of the 2026 MLS golden boot standings while adding two crucial set-piece strikes to his career ledger.

The dual-set-piece performance against Montreal elevates Lionel Messi into second place on the all-time free-kick leaderboard. Messi pushed his career total to 74 direct free-kick goals, tying legendary Brazilian forward Jair Rosa Pinto for second place while pulling within four of Marcelinho Carioca’s all-time mark of 78.

Saturday’s performance against Montreal marked just the fourth time in Messi’s career that he scored multiple free-kick goals in a single match, and his first such effort in an Inter Miami uniform. The previous three occurrences all came in an FC Barcelona shirt: first in the 2015 UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla on August 11, followed by a La Liga clash against Espanyol on December 8, 2018, and most recently against Celta Vigo on November 9, 2019.

The two set-piece strikes against Montreal accounted for his third and fourth free-kick goals of 2026 for Inter Miami, lifting his total with the Herons to 10. Seven of those have come in MLS play, leaving him within striking distance of the league record of 13 set by Toronto FC icon Sebastian Giovinco.

Top 10 free-kick goalscorers of all time

Following Messi’s set-piece brace, the all-time top 10 direct free-kick goalscorers stand as follows:

1. Marcelinho Carioca (Brazil): 78 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina): 74 goals
3. Jair Rosa Pinto (Brazil): 74 goals
4. Roberto Dinamite (Brazil): 73 goals
5. Juninho Pernambucano (Brazil): 72 goals
6. Marcos Assuncao (Brazil): 68 goals
7. Sinisa Mihajlovic (Serbia): 67 goals
8. Jorge Aravena (Chile): 65
9. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 64 goals
10. Zico (Brazil): 62 goals

Messi’s free-kick breakdown

• FC Barcelona: 50 goals
• Argentina: 12 goals
• Inter Miami: 10 goals
• PSG: 2 goals

Can Messi reach the top spot?

Lionel Messi has demonstrated since arriving at Inter Miami that his competitive drive remains intact even into the twilight of his career. Having already shattered numerous MLS records, his set-piece conversion rate continues to bolster his overall goal tally, raising the question of whether the 39-year-old icon can claim sole possession of first place before retirement.

Back in 2025, Messi converted three free kicks for Inter Miami, a mark he has already eclipsed in 2026 with four set-piece strikes for the Herons alongside one for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, bringing his calendar-year total to five. Maintaining an average of four to five free-kick goals per year through his Inter Miami contract running through December 2028 provides Messi more than enough runway to equal and eventually surpass Marcelinho Carioca’s standard.