Long-range goals in football are rare and every time someone manages to fire in a strike from distance, it is truly something special.
Some players possess the remarkable talent to reliably score from long distances, a skill that proves exceptionally challenging at the highest level. There’s nothing that excites a crowd more, and they become an unstoppable force that often renders managers' meticulous tactics ineffective.
A team with players capable of threatening from long range is significantly more challenging to confront, as there has to be a game plan to stop certain individuals from gaining space to fire off a shot from distance and that can open up space for other players and vice versa, making it a nightmare to deal with.
With that in mind, we've decided to look at some of the greatest long-shot specialists in football history, celebrating those who often find the net from outside the box, be it free-kicks, placed finishes or rip-roaring thunderstrikes - they all qualify here.
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10 Steven Gerrard
Notable Clubs: Liverpool and LA Galaxy
Steven Gerrard Olympiakos
One man who is synonymous with long-range efforts is the former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. His goal catalogue contains a plethora of incredible strikes across competitions and one of his most famous goals came from distance. The 2005 Champions League triumph would never have happened if the local hero hadn't fired in a destructive half-volley from 25+ yards against Olympiakos at Anfield, and it remains an iconic goal.
And who can forget his goal in the FA Cup in 2006? In added time, his long-range effort dragged Rafael Benitez's side into extra-time against West Ham United to complete a late comeback. The sheer audacity and confidence in his ability to produce such a goal was spellbinding and the importance of it elevates it further.
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Gerrard mastered free-kicks, the ability to curl shots either way and volleys, half-volleys and placed finishes. He was truly a phenomenon who had kids around the country all screaming 'GERRARD' every time they fired at goal on the playground. Plus, the numbers tell us that 27.2% of his Premier League goals were long-range efforts, which is a testament to his ability.
9 Frank Lampard
Notable Clubs: Chelsea and Manchester City
Frank Lampard Chelsea
Similar to Gerrard, the Chelsea midfielder was a gifted striker of the ball and was a real threat anywhere on the pitch. One of the greatest goalscoring midfielders to ever grace the game, he managed to score so many goals because he mastered the art of scoring from anywhere on the pitch. Most of Lampard's strikes came in and around the box, as he often found a yard and fired powerfully and low before the keepers were set, and he also enjoyed several free-kicks as well.
Take the effort against Hull City in the 2013-14 campaign or the strike at Wembley against Tottenham in the FA Cup in 2012 as prime examples. 23% of his 177 Premier League goals were long-range efforts and his quality equated to something of a secret weapon, something which turns the tide of games or unlocks a defence sitting deep. Whether the England hero was crashing late into the box to score, firing penalties or free-kicks, his ability to also strike cleanly and consistently from distance made him one of the most feared midfielders in European football.
8 Lionel Messi
Notable Clubs: Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain
Given he has scored more goals than anyone in his generation bar his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, it stands to reason that Lionel Messi should feature on this list for long-range goals. While it seems he has walked the ball in for the majority of his strikes, his exceptional technique and quality have made him one of, if not, the best free-kick takers of his generation. Across his career, he's managed 66 efforts from set-pieces, and he was capable of netting from far out, as seen in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Liverpool in 2019.
In general play, Messi was even deadlier. The number of times he would drift into the centre and pick up the ball between the lines, just to drive forward and curl an unstoppable effort into the left-hand corner was uncanny. The variety of finishes is incredible too; whether it's a placed finish, a powerful effort or even a long-range chip, his arsenal of attacking options is just insurmountable.
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7 Cristiano Ronaldo
Notable Clubs: Juventus, Real Madrid and Manchester United
Throughout his career, Ronaldo has dazzled with his long-range efforts across every club he's featured for, and he has always been capable of the spectacular at any moment. The sheer power he was able to generate from his powerful frame helped him to score some of the best goals of the century. Take his 40-yard effort against Porto in the Champions League while playing for Manchester United, he had no right to score from that far out, but he did.
At Real Madrid, he scored countless efforts from distance from all areas on the pitch. Be it free-kicks, cutting in from the left or the right or simply powering towards goal before hitting a swerving effort that made goalkeepers look silly. His technique was so unique, and it helped to cause chaos for opposing teams. When he reached the 900-goal figure, it was revealed that 131 goals had come from outside the box, a figure which included 63 free kicks with the total equating to 15% of his total goals.
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6 Arjen Robben
Notable Clubs: Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Real Madrid
Arjen Robben Bayern Munich
The flying Dutch winger holds a unique place on this list due to the nature of his style of play. Arjen Robben was one of the best wingers of his generation and his trademark move was cutting in from the right wing, and skipping past multiple defenders before curling an effort into the far left-hand corner. It became rather comical at a certain point, as everyone knew exactly what he was going to do, but most were powerless to stop it.
Injuries restricted him from reaching even greater heights, but there are countless examples of his ability to cut inside and curl the ball into the top corner from outside the box. Every winger wants to do exactly that but Robben made it look easy and, as a result, he netted an extraordinary number of goals from outside the box during his time at Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. One of the most perfect examples of this was his strike against Arsenal in the Champions League at the Allianz Arsenal in 2017 - it simply does not get better than that.
5 Juninho
Notable Clubs: Lyon
The Brazilian has been heralded as arguably the best free-kick taker of all time and his 77 goals from set-pieces make him the best in football history, ahead of Pele and David Beckham. Juninho was a hard-working and tenacious midfielder, but his party piece was to fire in free-kicks from all angles, showcasing a wide variety of techniques ranging from curled efforts to unstoppable dipping efforts that defied gravity.
One technique in particular stood out above the rest: the ability to produce a knuckleball strike. That was something he was inspired to do by the Brazilian great Marcelinho, and it was something that Ronaldo became known for early in his career at United. One of the most famous came against Barcelona in the Champions League.
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According to interviews with teammates, the key to his success was to practice. Day and night, wind or snow - Juninho mastered his craft and the ability to adapt to different positions and distances helped him to maximise his goal tally, and it is no surprise to hear that the majority of his career goals are from free-kicks.
4 Ronald Koeman
Notable Clubs: Barcelona and Ajax
Ronald Koeman
One thing we have to remember about Ronald Koeman is that he was, first and foremost, a centre-back because he netted 253 times for club and country. That made him the highest-scoring defender in football history, a record which stands today and is unlikely to be beaten anytime soon. Plus, he was a gifted free-kick and penalty taker and possessed a powerful shot which he often unleashed from deep after venturing forward from defence.
He was truly unique and legendary and won the European Championships with Holland as well as 18 trophies at club level. One of his most famous goals came against Trabzponspor in the 1990-91 season when he chipped the ball past their high line, powered his way through and lobbed the oncoming keeper before reaching the box. Not only did teams have to worry about their talented front line, but Koeman's ability from deep and set-pieces must have been a nightmare for opposing sides.
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3 Roberto Carlos
Notable Clubs: Real Madrid and Inter Milan
Roberto Carlos Real Madrid
If there's one player who didn't need any invitation to shoot from distance, it's Roberto Carlos. The Brazilian was blessed with a powerful figure and strong legs that allowed him to strike the ball with unholy power, and it resulted in some of the most iconic goals in history. Of course, how can you not mention the incredible free-kick he scored against France in 1997?
Standing 35 yards out, he ran at the ball from afar, opting to curl it with the outside of his boot using extreme power. The brilliance of the goal was only later understood once the slow-motion replay revealed the ball curved from well outside the post before firing in off the woodwork in a truly unstoppable strike. He also netted directly from a cross on the left wing with a cross/shot that rifled into the side netting for Madrid. His goals stunned the world, and he ripped up the playbook when it came to attacking full-backs as he paved the way for the modern style.
2 Clarence Seedorf
Notable Clubs: AC Milan, Inter Milan and Barcelona
Clarence Seedorf
One of the most complete midfielders we've ever seen, Clarence Seedorf is a football icon for the trophies he won, his ability to win at multiple top clubs and his all-round quality, which cemented him as one of the best of his generation. However, his ability to score from distance was incredible too, and many will point towards his strike against Atletico Madrid in 1997, as he scored from around 40 yards out - it is truly a shocking achievement to witness.
Another example of his brilliance came in 2001 as he netted two incredible goals against one of the greatest keepers of all time, Gianluigi Buffon. The first was a left-footed effort from the side of the box that shot like an arrow into the top corner, while the second was in the centre of the pitch, but further out as it curled away from the Italian keeper into the top corner. His career was littered with strikes such as this, and he is one player who deserves far more love and praise because he was the full package - and then some.
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1 Federico Valverde
Notable Clubs: Real Madrid
Bringing this list up to date completely, Madrid's Federico Valverde is by far and away the most deadly player from outside the box in the modern game. Playing in central midfield under Carlo Ancelotti, or even as an emergency right-back or even right-winger at times, the Uruguayan is blessed with exceptional shot power and technique, which allows him to be a constant, dormant threat every single game.
In fact, during the current 2024-25 campaign, no one has scored more goals from outside the box than any other player in Europe's top five leagues this season (five). It has gotten to the point where the only goals he does score are these incredible strikes from distance. One great example is the goal against Sevilla in La Liga this season, as he collected the ball dead centre some 30 yards before rifling it into the top corner with extreme power and precision. He remains a rare breed of player in the modern game.
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Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 10-03-25.