Often popularly hailed as one of the most prestigious and popular football tournaments in the world, the FIFA World Cup, also sometimes referred to as “the World Cup”, has garnered a fan base of millions from all around the world in the past few decades. The glorious history of the FIFA World Cup has witnessed numerous legendary football players, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Luka Modrić and many others who have dominated the field for decades now with their unmatched and lethal exploits.
While these legendary football stalwarts have dominated the opponent teams with their ruthless goals in FIFA, sometimes their fortune has also empowered them with free kicks. Have you ever wondered about the iconic football players who have made the most out of free kicks and managed to score maximum goals in the history of FIFA? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four legendary football players who have scored maximum goals from free kicks in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
Top 4 Footballers with Most Goals from Free Kicks in FIFA World Cup
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Diego Maradona, Argentina
The legendary Argentina former professional football player Diego Maradona is at the first spot in our list of the top four football players who have scored the maximum goals from free kicks in the history of the FIFA World Cup. Widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all-time, Diego Maradona represented Argentina in a total of four World Cup editions in the years 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1994.
Diego Maradona was also a crucial part of the Argentina team that clinched the 1986 World Cup. Throughout his glorious FIFA career, Diego Maradona scored a total of three goals from free kicks, with his infamous free-kick against Italy during the 1986 World Cup being the memorable one among the fans.
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David Beckham, England
At the second spot in our list of the top four legendary football players who have scored maximum goals from free kicks in the history of the FIFA World Cup, we have the legendary English former professional football player Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham, often popularly referred to as “David Beckham”.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest set-piece specialists of all time, David Beckham continues to be the only English professional football player to clinch league titles in four different countries: England, Spain, the United States and France, as of September 2025, speaking volumes about his unwavering dominance in the game. Throughout his glorious career, David Beckham represented England in a total of three World Cup editions in the years 1998, 2002, and 2006 and scored a total of two goals from free kicks, ranking him at the second spot on our list.
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Roberto Carlos, Brazil
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four football players who have scored the maximum goals from free kicks in the history of the FIFA World Cup, we have the trailblazing Brazilian former professional football player Roberto Carlos, often popularly referred to by his nickname “RC3” by millions of his fans and supporters from all around the world.
Widely regarded as one of the most offensive-minded left-backs and one of the greatest full-backs in the history of the game, Roberto Carlos represented Brazil in a total of three FIFA World Cup editions in the years 1998, 2002 and 2006. The Brazilian football sensation Roberto Carlos scored a total of two goals from free kicks throughout his FIFA career and successfully clinched the 2002 FIFA World Cup edition with Brazil scoring a jaw-dropping free-kick against China.
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Zico, Brazil
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four legendary football players who have scored maximum goals from free kicks in the history of the FIFA World Cup, we have another Brazilian former football player and current coach, Arthur Antunes Coimbra, popularly referred to as “Zico” by millions of his fans. Often widely regarded as the “White Pele”, Arthur Antunes Coimbra was arguably the finest and most dominant professional football player of the late 1970s and early 1980s to represent Brazil in the international football arena. The free-kick specialist left the fans stunned with his memorable free-kick against Scotland in the 1982 World Cup.
Throughout his glorious career, Zico represented Brazil in a total of three World Cup editions in the years 1978, 1982, and 1986. However, despite being at the apex of his professional football career, the free-kick specialist Zico failed to clinch even a single edition of the FIFA World Cup with Brazil, which undoubtedly left his fans heartbroken when he announced his retirement from professional football in 1994 at the age of forty-one.
