Zinedine Zidane and the Best Free-Kick Masters in World Football History (Video)

Throughout the history of the beautiful game, fans and pundits alike have often debated who deserves the label of free-kick maestro.

While hundreds have been able to convert the occasional free kick, it is those who are able to produce the goods consistently that have gone down as football's best. 

Almost every successful team in the past has had at least one set piece specialist that can deliver that single moment of magic.

Today we look back at the twenty dead ball masters of all time. Trying to rank such legends would be subjective so names appear in no particular order. 

Juninho Pernambucano

A Lyon legend, Juninho led the French side to seven consecutive league titles and scored some amazing free kicks on the way.  

His technique was similar to Cristiano Ronaldo's as he made the ball move very unpredictably. 

Not matter the distance, Juninho seemed to have an answer and seemed to be able to score from anywhere. It is said that the Brazilian scored over 40 free kicks with Lyon during his eight-year tenure.

Cristiano Ronaldo

In recent years Cristiano Ronaldo has stamped his position among the free-kick elite.

His ability to hit the ball straight on, get over the wall and have it dip down so viciously has left keepers around Europe flat footed.

David James barely moved an inch for this famous free kick against Portsmouth back in 2008, and after the match, when asked whether he had seen a better set piece in the Premier League, sir Alex responded "No, that must be the best. No goalkeeper would have saved it." 

Juan Roman Riquelme

Riquelme's has had his ups and downs during his eventful career but one thing people can never doubt is his free-kick ability.

Never really settling in at Barcelona, Riquelme produced some memorable moments for Villareal, Boca Juniors and the Argentinian National Team.

One such moment came in 2007 against Chile in Argentina's first game of World Cup 2010 qualifying.

Riquelme showed his class and scored not one, but two free kicks in his side's 2-0 victory. 

Had it not been for a rocky relationship with Diego Maradona, Riquelme would have likely featured for his country in South Africa. 

Diego Maradona

Arguably the greatest player of all time, Maradona was just as gifted when it came to his set pieces. 

With the sweetest of strokes, Maradona seemed to perfectly place his attempts on goal. 

During the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, at age 49, Maradona showed he still had it, striking a free kick in the upper corner during training that can be seen here. 

David Beckham

So famous were his signature swerving strikes that any attempt to do so meant you were "bending it like Beckham."

His ability to whip the ball around the wall so accurately seemed to defy the laws of motion, and Becks has a highlight reel of fantastic goals to choose from.

No other goal was as perfect as the one he scored against Greece.

Stoppage time, at Old Trafford, behind a goal and needing a result to see them through to the 2002 World Cup, David Beckham rose to the occasion and produced a moment for English folklore. 

Take a bow Sir David. 

Zico

The Brazilian legend is one of the original free-kick masters.

Able to curve the ball with pace and pick out the top or bottom of either corner, Zico's stance was similar to Thierry Henry's. 

In 1984, before Udinese was to play Fiorentina, Giovanni Galli, the Fiorentina keeper at the time, announced to the media that he knew Zico would try to place a free kick in the bottom right corner.

This teasing challenge to Zico did not end well for Galli, as the Brazilian scored a free kick, opting for the left corner.

In this video, Zico explains the art of the free kick while also showing some of his finest strikes. 

Zinedine Zidane

Another David James nightmare, Zidane finished a brilliant free kick to complete a stoppage time double, and give France control over their Euro 2004 group. 

For a man whose club team at the time boasted the likes of Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo and David Beckham, Zidane rarely got a chance at set piece duty. 

However, that didn't mean he wasn't capable, as Zidane netted a few for France and Juventus including this one against Spain.

Alvaro Recoba

After starting out his career with Danubio and Nacional in Uruguay, Recoba was signed by Inter Milan in 1997.

He would announce his arrival on the European stage in style and scored a beauty of a free kick (skip to minute 1:25) as well as a powerful 30-yard shot in his debut against Brescia.

It was a performance that stole the show from the Brazilian Ronaldo who was also making his debut that day.

Recoba spent the next ten years amongst the Inter Milan ranks and scored many more for the Nerazzuri. 

At 35 years old, Recoba has since returned to Uruguay and former club Nacional. 

See more of his stunning free kicks here. 

Thierry Henry

Henry was truly an all around offensive player but it wasn't just his finishing and assisting ability that made the Frenchman world class.

The Arsenal legend buried many free kicks for the gunners over the years.

His famous on-step approach made it hard to anticipate if he was shooting let alone where he was going to place it. 

Often going for finesse rather than power, Henry was no stranger to finding the back of the net. 

Ronaldinho

Did he mean to do it?

In 2002 Ronaldinho made himself quite the household name in England after catching David Seaman off his line in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

If you take Ronaldinho's word for it the strike was very much intentional.

Regardless, Ronaldinho has scored plenty of free kicks since, including a fantastic equalizer against Mexico just two days ago. See the goal here. 

Michel Platini

Michel Platini was another one of the original set piece specialists.

Not only did Platini score quite a few, but he seemed to do it when it mattered most, in the most crucial of matches.

Platini scored a double of free kicks against the then French Champions Saint-Etinne to knock them out of the French Cup.

He also converted one in his international debut for France, drawing with Czechoslovakia 2-2 in 1976. 

In a do or die World Cup 1982 qualifying match against Holland, Platini again scored from a free kick helping ensure France's route to the finals.

Perhaps his most important free kick came against Spain in the Euro 1984 final. Platini scored to help France win 2-0 and lift their first major trophy. 

Pierre Van Hooijdonk

Premier League fans may remember Van Hoojdonk from his controversial stints with Celtic and Nottingham forrest in the 90s but the world will remember him for his outstanding free kicks. 

It was at Dutch club Feyenoord that Van Hoojdonk saw most of his success, winning the UEFA cup in 2002.

In that tournament, he scored this spectacular free kick against Freiburg, a swerving attempt from a difficult angle. 

Shunsuke Nakamura

One of the best Asian footballers of all time, Nakamura became the first Japanese player to appear in the UEFA Champions League. 

A versatile midfielder, Nakamura is widely respected for his deadly free kicks. 

After three season with Reggina in Italy, Nakamura was off to Celtic to play in the Scottish Premier League. 

It was there, in his first season with the Scottish outfit, he scored possibly his most famous goal, a breath taking free kick against Manchester United in the Champions League. 

He actually scored two against United that campaign with the first at Old Trafford available here. 

Gianfranco Zola

Gianfranco Zola signed with Napoli in 1989 and it was there that he went under an ageing Maradona's wing. 

Zola explained how he would learn how to curve the ball from Maradona, and practice his free kicks for hours.

Practice paid off and Zola went on to score some important free kicks for Chelsea and others. 

One such free kick was in the 1999/2000 Champions League quarterfinals against Barcelona. 

Chelsea were the competition's debutantes that year and Zola buried a fine free kick. Skip to minute 1:45 to see the goal.

Chelsea went on to lose the match but it was a respectable run for the English new boys, and Zola had led the charge. 

Alessandro Del Piero

The Italian legend has produced some fine free kicks over the years and seems to have only improved with his age. 

In 2008, Juventus had returned to the Champions League following the infamous match fixing scandal.

Del Piero marked their return with this beautiful free kick from distance against UEFA Cup winners Zenit. 

The match winner was the perfect way to return to Europe's premier competition for a club so big a part of its history. 

Click here to see more from Del Piero. 

Rivelino

One of the best midfielders of his generation, Rivelino was also a dead-ball mastermind. 

His powerful free kicks paved the way for the likes of Roberto Carlos and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Rivelino was capable of blasting the ball, at times appearing to go straight through the wall.

He was a member of the World Cup winning Brazilian team of 1970 and even scored a thunderous free kick against Czechoslovakia in the group stage seen here. 

Andrea Pirlo

Another Italian master of the dead ball, Pirlo's striking ability from distance is world class. 

The current Juventus man spent most of his career with AC Milan and was most often the licensed set piece specialist. 

Known as l'architetto (the architect) for his passing and playmaking ability, Pirlo is still seen as a free-kick genius. 

This strike came against rivals Inter Milan leaving keeper Julio Cesar with no chance. 

Roberto Carlos

Roberto Carlos was a master of getting power behind the ball.

Known for his famous run up ritual, Carlos would strike the ball with the outside of his left boot, slicing it to get that ridiculous curve at full power. 

A shot seen time and time again, Carlos left a bewildered Fabian Barthez scratching his head as the ball appeared to be headed out of play before curving into the net. 

He was about 35 meters out and sent the ball bending toward Barthez's far post at a whopping 130 kilometers an hour.

Notice the ball boy duck as the ball dramatically changes direction.

Siniša Mihajlović

A deadly left foot, Mihajlović was a goalkeeper's nightmare during his time with numerous Serie A clubs.

It is said that he scored over 30 goals from set pieces throughout his career.

When he was playing for Lazio in 1998, Mihajlović scored a hat trick of free kicks against Sampdoria, a feat extremely rare in football.

Check out the video to see his astonishing match. Notice how far each set piece is.  

Jose Luis Chilavert

Yes, a goalkeeper made the list. Chilavert was a sensation and one of the highest scoring goal keepers of all time. 

The Paraguayan even scored a free-kick from the halfway line for Velez against River Plate in 1996 which can be seen here. 

He is the first goal keeper to ever score a hat trick (although all three came from the penalty spot).

Spitting incidents aside, Chilavert was a character of world football and in 74 caps for Paraguay he scored a goalkeeper record of eight international goals. 

While many other players can boast a higher tally, Chilavert's audacity and legacy earn him a spot on our list.