Lionel Messi scored his 65th career free-kick goal in a World Cup qualifier match against Ecuador on 8 September 2023.
The goal came in the 78th minute and helped Argentina to a 1-0 victory. Messi’s free-kick was curled into the top corner of the net from 25 yards out.
Lionel Messi is now tied for fifth place on the all-time list of free-kick goal scorers, alongside Manchester United legend and Inter Miami owner David Beckham. The top four are Juninho Pernambucano (77 goals), Pelé (70 goals), Victor Legrotaglie (66 goals), and Ronaldinho (66 goals).
Messi’s free-kick goal against Ecuador was his first for Argentina since the 2022 World Cup. He has been in excellent form for his club, Inter Miami, this season, scoring 11 goals in 11 appearances.
With 65 career free-kick goals, Messi is well on his way to breaking Juninho Pernambucano’s record. If he can maintain his current form, he could become the all-time leading scorer from free-kicks in the next few years.
Lionel Messi has scored 104 goals in 176 international appearances for Argentina. He is the country’s all-time leading scorer, and had surpassed Gabriel Batistuta’s record of 54 goals.
Messi has scored goals in all major competitions for Argentina, including the World Cup, Copa América, and the FIFA Confederations Cup. He has also scored in friendly matches.
He has scored 7 World Cup goals in 22 appearances, 4 Copa América goals in 39 appearances, 1 FIFA Confederations Cup goal in 3 appearances, and 54 goals in 91 appearances in friendly matches.
