CORNERFLICK
Lionel Messi has reached 75 direct free-kick goals after scoring for Inter Miami against San Diego. The strike came in the 24th minute and levelled the match.
Another step towards the record
Messi had already moved onto 74 from free kicks only a few weeks earlier, when he scored twice from set pieces against Montreal. After that game, his official website said he had moved above Juninho Pernambucano into second place on its referenced list, four goals behind Marcelinho Carioca.
The goal against San Diego has taken him to 75 on that count, with some statistical lists now putting him just three behind Marcelinho, who is credited with 78 in those versions. Roberto Dinamite and Juninho also appear among the leading names in those rankings.
No single agreed total
Free-kick records are not fully consistent across sources. Different lists count different matches and different types of free kick, which is why numbers vary for players such as Pelé and Marcelinho.
What is clear is that Messi, now 39, remains one of the sharpest set-piece threats in world football and continues to edge closer to another major landmark.