2026 Ballon d’Or: 20 African countries to vote for winner [Full List]
Only 20 African countries are eligible to vote for the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or award. This is because they are among the top 100 countries in the FIFA world rankings, which determine the award’s international jury. The 2026 regulations stipulate that the FIFA ranking in effect when the voting lists were published on […] 2026 Ballon d’Or: 20 African countries to vote for winner [Full…
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Lionel Messi has climbed to second place on the all-time free-kick goals list, overtaking several legendary Brazilian players, with Cristiano Ronaldo remaining just three goals behind him. Messi now has 75 direct free-kick goals, while Ronaldo sits on 63. The Argentine's six goals this year alone propelled him past players such as Juninho Pernambucano, Roberto Dinamite, and Jair.
The gap between Messi and the record holder, Marcelinho Carioca, who has 78 goals, was once perceived as insurmountable. However, Messi's improvement in technique in his thirties has allowed him to pull significantly ahead. Ronaldo, now 41, remains ninth on the list, though it is unlikely he will climb into the top five.
Written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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