Arsenal delivered the shock of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals with a stunning 3–0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg at the Emirates — and the star of the night was none other than Declan Rice.
The England international produced a rare feat, scoring twice from direct free kicks — a moment of brilliance that left even seasoned fans asking: Has anyone else ever done this before in the Champions League? The answer is yes — but it’s a short and prestigious list. And Rice just made history by becoming the first player to ever score two free-kick goals in a single knockout stage match in the Champions League era.
Rice’s first strike came in the 58th minute, after Bukayo Saka drew a foul on David Alaba just outside the box. Rice stepped up and curled in a sublime shot that left Thibaut Courtois rooted to the spot, giving Arsenal a 1–0 lead.
The second came under even more dramatic circumstances. After Courtois made a series of saves to deny Arsenal, Eduardo Camavinga fouled Mikel Merino near the edge of the area. Rice, this time with power over precision, rifled a thunderous strike into the top corner to double the lead. It was a goal hit with so much venom it seemed to shake the net — and the stadium. Arsenal would go on to add a third goal to cap off a historic night in North London.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice scored against Real Madrid
Who else has done it?
With his two free-kick goals, Rice joins a small, elite group of players to have achieved the same feat in a single Champions League match. Notably, Lionel Messi — widely considered the greatest free-kick taker of his generation — has never done it. Neither has Juninho Pernambucano, who many view as the best to ever take a set piece. Here’s the exclusive list:
see also
Not only Cristiano Ronaldo: Kylian Mbappe names the other star who influenced move to Real Madrid
- Rivaldo (Barcelona) vs. AC Milan – 2000
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) vs. Zürich – 2009
- Neymar (PSG) vs. Red Star Belgrade – 2018
- Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray) vs. Manchester United – 2023
- Declan Rice (Arsenal) vs. Real Madrid – 2025 (Knockout Stage)
Rice’s achievement is particularly historic as he’s the only one on the list to do it in a Champions League knockout round, raising the stakes and the significance of his performance even further.
A rare occurrence for Real Madrid
Despite Real Madrid’s historic success in the Champions League, conceding multiple goals from free kicks in one match is almost unheard of — especially to the same player.
In fact, Rice becomes just the second player ever to score two direct free-kick goals against Real Madrid in a European Cup match. The first? Ernst Happel for Rapid Wien — all the way back in 1956. That makes Rice the first player to do it in the Champions League era, and it places his name in both Arsenal and European soccer history.
