Having already scored a free-kick in the 2014 World Cup against Nigeria, Messi now joins a rare group of players who have scored from free-kicks in both the FIFA World Cup and the Club World Cup.

Thus, with these reasons and the stats on his side, Messi is clearly the superior threat when compared to CR7 when it comes to free kicks. At least in this arena, there in no real scope for any ...

While Ronaldo remains a strong presence, particularly in Champions League free-kicks, it’s clear that Messi has overtaken him in overall free-kick efficiency, averaging a goal every 16.3 games ...

The epic free-kick reminded some CR7 followers of when Roberto Carlos scored one of the greatest goals in history. While Ronaldo's shot does take a bit of a slant, it is nothing compared to ...

With Portugal trailing 3-2 in the dying minutes, he won a free-kick just outside the box. Ronaldo stepped up and curled a magnificent shot into the top corner, completing his hat-trick and ...

Brown added: “There is a lot of respect in that team for Ronaldo. There was one free kick that was not even of his side, but he took it anyway because he wants to score.

That elite list also includes Fernando Hierro (who did it with Real Madrid and Spain ), Ronaldinho Gaúcho (Atlético Mineiro ...