FULL LIST: All-time free-kick scorers, Messi moves to second, Ronaldo ninth

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.