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Lionel Messi makes history and surpasses Pele's record in Inter Miami's win over NYC
Mar 23 2026 12:10 · By RYAN MITCHELL · 7 Reads
Inter Miami have achieved an important victory in MLS , with a free-kick goal from Lionel Messi , a goal that has also helped him to surpass the king Pele in an impressive record. New York City had managed to shackle Inter Miami in the first half despite the early goal from Gonzalo Lujan in the fourth minute. With the score at 2-1 in favor of the New York team thanks to goals from Nicolas Fernandez and Agustin Ojeda , it seemed that Javier Mascherano 's side would receive another tough blow. However, their leader, Leo Messi, appeared to equalize the score and lead the team to what would ultimately mean three points for Miami.
A magical night once again put Lionel Messi in the conversation of the greatest of all time. With a free-kick goal in Inter Miami's win over Orlando City SC, the Argentine reached a historic figure that temporarily put him on a par with Pele. Now Messi scored again from the free kick and is positioned as the second best free kick taker.
Messi surpasses Pele as top free-kick scorer
The goal came thanks to a powerful shot and a bit of luck, as the shot was deflected by a defender to change the trajectory and leave the NYC goalkeeper with no chance of reacting
With this goal, Messi reached 71 free-kick goals in official competitions, surpassing Pele's mark as one of the top specialists in this area.
For decades, the Brazilian was the absolute reference in this type of execution. Now, Messi reaches that number in a completely different era.
In his early years as a professional, Messi was not the main free-kick taker. However, as time went by, he turned this weakness into one of his greatest strengths.
Who is the top free throw scorer?
Although Messi has surpassed Pele, there is still one name above him on the all-time list: Juninho Pernambucano , considered the best free-kick taker of all time.
However, the impact of Messi's achievement transcends any ranking. His ability to remain relevant and continue to make a difference at key moments reinforces his legacy.
Top players with the most free-kick goals