Lionel Messi scored a free-kick goal in the comeback win for Inter Miami against New York City FC, striking it under the wall with a slight deflection that still found the net. In the ongoing comparison with his biggest rival, Messi extended his advantage in this category over Cristiano Ronaldo in 2026.
Lionel Messi has recorded two free-kick goals in 2026, and also reached 71 in this category compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, who has not scored from that situation and remains with 63 free-kicks in his career. Messi’s first goal of the year came in the match against Orlando City SC during Matchday 2 of the MLS season.
Messi scored that first free-kick in the 90th minute against Orlando City to secure the win and earn valuable points for Inter Miami. On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo has found it more difficult to score from direct free kicks in recent years.
When was the last time Cristiano Ronaldo scored a free kick?
The last time Cristiano Ronaldo scored a free-kick goal was on August 27, 2024, during a Saudi Pro League match with Al Nassr. In that game, he scored his team’s second goal in a 4-1 win over Al Feiha, delivering a precise strike that cleared the wall and went into the top corner.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr
This goal was especially significant as it brought him to 899 official goals. It also made Ronaldo the first player in soccer history to score a direct free kick in 23 consecutive seasons, a streak that ended in 2025.
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Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo receive praise from NBA legend Magic Johnson after Lionel reaches 900th goal
Throughout 2025 and into 2026, although he has continued scoring regularly through open play, penalties and headers, he has not found the net from a direct free-kick in official competition, keeping that goal against Al Feiha as his most recent in that category.
The competition remains active
Despite Messi’s consistency in this area, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be a prolific scorer, and the race toward 1,000 career goals remains active, with Ronaldo at 965 official goals and Lionel Messi at 901, including the free kick against NYCFC to complete the comeback 3-2 for Inter Miami.
