Dominik Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai’s first direct free-kick goal for Liverpool came against Arsenal at Anfield on 31 August 2025. It was an 83rd-minute winner in a 1-0 victory, struck from more than 30 yards past David Raya.
Supporters voted it Liverpool’s Men’s Goal of the Season for 2025-26. It had earlier won the Premier League’s Goal of the Month award for August.
In January, he scored a trick free-kick in a 3-0 Champions League win at Marseille. Four Marseille defenders jumped in the wall, and Szoboszlai sent his shot underneath them in first-half stoppage time.
“I did my homework,” he told TNT Sports afterwards.
On 8 February, he put Liverpool ahead against Manchester City with a long-range free-kick in the 74th minute. The goal finished second in the club’s Goal of the Season vote, but Liverpool lost 2-1 and he was sent off in stoppage time.
He later scored a free-kick against Tottenham, his fifth direct free-kick goal of the season in all competitions. That equalled the tally of Luis Suarez, who scored five in 2012-13.
Four of Szoboszlai’s free-kick goals came in the Premier League. Only David Beckham in 2000-01 and Laurent Robert in 2001-02 have scored more in a single league season, with five each, according to Opta.
That record has now earned praise from a Premier League rival.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has named Szoboszlai the best free-kick taker in the world, according to TNT Sports.
Rice made the comments on TNT Sports’ Voice Notes. Former Real Madrid and Brazil left-back Roberto Carlos asked him who the most gifted free-kick taker is.
“I’m probably going to have to say, from what I’ve seen, [Dominik] Szoboszlai from Liverpool,” Rice said. “The free-kicks he’s scored are unbelievable, the way he strikes the ball is unbelievable, his consistency as well.”
Rice made an exception when asked about the all-time greats. “If I’m saying all-time, I’m going to have to say you, because of that goal against France,” he told Roberto Carlos.
Rice does not rate himself as the best in the world. The 27-year-old scored two free-kicks against Real Madrid in the 2024-25 Champions League quarter-finals.
TNT Sports noted that Szoboszlai has not yet matched Roberto Carlos’s output from dead-ball situations. The Brazilian scored 49 free-kicks for club and country during his career.
Rice has missed only Arsenal’s Carabao Cup third-round tie this season. The title-holders travel to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Rice also discussed golf on the show. He said Andy Murray’s handicap has dropped from around 18 to one in two years, and he suggested a round in which Murray would give him seven shots.
Liverpool fans will like Declan Rice’s pick for the world’s best free-kick taker 👀🎯
📺 Watch Declan Rice answer celebrity voice notes now over on YouTube: https://t.co/Wus9mo4hsF https://t.co/S2zgtTfMRK
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 20, 2026
Support DaveOCKOP and enjoy the site completely ad-free. You’ll get an uninterrupted browsing experience while helping us continue to deliver the latest Liverpool news, breaking stories and exclusives. Go ad-free today.