New Delhi: We have witnessed some of the best set piece takers of this generation with little doubt over the fact that last decade eventually produced a numerous top class short as well as long free kick takers, corner takers and players who were capable of doing the right thing with their precise. Legends like Juninho, Zico, Roberto Carlos, Alessandro Del Piero, defined the term set piece taking, and further generations carried it forward, as the art of set pieces became a thing of beauty.
Every team has that one player in the squad, that just knows how to produce wonders from set pieces, be it from the spot, corner or even from a short free kick. These specialists are good at what they do, and their ability to make the most out of these opportunities make them an important figure for their team. Here’s a look at some of the best set piece specialists from 2010 to present time.
Kevin De Bruyne
Will never forget the day Kevin De Bruyne scored a free-kick goal against 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚 Barcelona 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/niekXmNAbX
— 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥 🏴 (@1MCI9) June 10, 2024
Kevin De Bruyne has to be one of the most technically gifted footballers in the world right now. Some say that the Belgian playmaker can see those things that a normal person can’t, and he truly lives up to these claims, show casing his unbelievable vision on the pitch and his ability to find a pin point pass, through ball or simply create an opportunity for his team mates from tightest of angles.
However, there’s much more that the Belgian maestro provides on the pitch, as over the years, De Bruyne has shown his class while taking a set piece, with his pin point accuracy and audacity. Pep Guardiola knows exactly whom to trust when the team relies on corners and free kicks when De Bruyne is on the pitch.
Dani Parejo
Con este GOLAZO de @DaniParejo solo nos sale quedarnos así: 😳#CeltaValencia pic.twitter.com/IQNCq6Yads
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) January 19, 2019
Dani Parejo is one of the most underrated midfielders of our generation and his ability on the ball has always been top class, as he has proven himself playing for Valencia and Villareal. The 35 year old midfielder is very well known for his vision, technical ability on the ball and a wonderful eye for a killer pass, which is very much evident in the way he takes his set pieces.
It is fair to say that he may well be one of the best when it comes to taking corners, with his precisive passing ability to find a team mate in the box. Besides, he is an exceptional free kick taker, who knows his traget and can produce a goal from a direct free kick.
James Ward-Prowse
An angle of 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 James Ward-Prowse free-kick which is one of the most satisfying things you will ever see.pic.twitter.com/bpSvATbCLB
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) January 23, 2022
Many believed that James Ward-Prowse, when he was playing for Southampton, was probably the best free kick taker in the Premier League, and the English midfielder certainly didn’t let those people down, scoring direct free kicks for fun. Few players in Premier League history have ever been able to reliably score from direct free kicks.
Among them is James Ward-Prowse, who shot up to second place on the all-time Premier League scorers list from set-piece scenarios after scoring another goal for Southampton against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in February 2023 from 30 yards out. Over the course of his eight-year English top flight career, he has scored 17 free kick goals to far. He now needs just one more to tie David Beckham’s record of 18.
Miralem Pjanic
👌 Perfect precision from @Miralem_Pjanic vs. Chievo 🎯
📲 @ TAG a mate who can hit a free-kick like this!#GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/ukkggxAPGc
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) November 6, 2019
Another player that had the ability to produce shear magic from set pieces was former Juventus midfielder, Miralem Pjanic. The Bosnian truly had an extra ordinary record when it comes to set pieces, with his 21 career goals coming from a direct free kick. Pjanic has always maintained his reputation as a player with tremendous vision, long ball playing midfielder who can play in a central role and also as a deep lying midfielder.
However, his versatility on the pitch isn’t the only thing that made him a great asset for top clubs like Lyon, Roma and Juventus, as the 24 year old’s creativity and the ability to swing in a perfect ball from the corner made him a constant set piece taker.
Lionel Messi
🚨 Messi free kick goal 🚨
(via @MLS)pic.twitter.com/puAJ42xOLv
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 3, 2024
It is not surprising to see Leo Messi in this list, considering the number of free kicks he has scored over the past decade. The 37 year old is still going strong and scoring those top bins at Inter Miami, but during his peak at Barcelona, Messi was absolutely unstoppable. He may be regarded as the best player to step foot in a football field for the amazing things that he has done, but one thing that Messi is very well known for is his free kick taking.
Lionel Messi has scored 66 free kicks in his career, which is the fifth highest number of free kick goals in football history. It is just amazing to think what that magical left foot could do, and his ability to make the most out of these opportunities made him a top contender to take the set pieces for whichever club he played for.
Paolo Dybala
Paulo Dybala knows how to bend in a freekick 🎯 @PauDybala_JR
— 433 (@433) February 16, 2020
Dybala is another underrated contender in this list, who is a dangerous set piece taker and has a total of 13 career free kick goals. The 30 year old showed his ability to score fantastic curling free kicks when he played his peak football at Juventus as back in the 2017/18 Serie A campiagn, La Joya scored on four free kicks throught the season. Dybala is certainly one of the most technically gifted footballers in the world, which is something that nobody can disagree on.
Besides, Dybala as a forward, has tremendous vision and his playmaking abilities are right on top, making him one of the main contenders to take set pieces.
It is always a treat to watch players scoring long range free kicks or delivering the perfect ball from the corner. Here’s a look at some of the top set pieace specialists of this decade. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
