December 3, 2024. Son Moix Stadium. Minute 52 of the match between FC Barcelona and RCD Mallorca corresponding to the 19th round of LaLiga, which was brought forward for the four participants in the Spanish Super Cup. A foul on the edge of the area in favour of Barça, an elbow from Raillo to Ferrán. At the shot, Leo...Raphinha, Raphael Dias Belloli, it's time to get used to it. Although, how do you do it?
The shot from Barça's '11' was good, powerful at the goalkeeper's post, although the local goalkeeper cleared it with a great stretch. However, with each dangerous free kick, the name of Leo Messi appears in the author's head. It is silly to say adjectives about the Rosario native, since it is not the aim of the columnist to bore the reader. However, what is important to remember is that the best in history made fouls almost as dangerous as penalties.
From Messi to Ferrán, 867 days later
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini's last goal from a free kick was on May 2, 2021, at Mestalla. The match was 1-2, when the Argentine prepared to take a free kick on the edge of the area. He shot and the ball flew over the wall, crashed into the left post of the goal defended by Jaume Doménech and went in. He made it 1-3 on the scoreboard, although Valencia managed to close the gap at the buzzer.
Since that goal, eleven players other than the Argentine have tried to do it again: Raphinha (13), Lewandowski (9), Memphis (8), Ferrán (6), Ansu Fati (4), Coutinho (2), Dembélé (2), Jordi Alba (2), Marcos Alonso, Gündogan and Piqué (1). More than 2 years passed until one of those on the list, Ferrán Torres, curiously a former player of the last team that Lionel scored a free kick against, broke the drought. It was on September 16, 2023, in a one-two against Real Betis, when the Foios native scored what was 3-0.
However, what a way to be the first post-Messi free kick scorer. A most unsightly goal. Even the player himself acknowledged that it didn't go as he wanted: "My idea was to kick it over the wall, it went a bit wrong but well, luckily it went in." Yes, Ferrán, a pretty goal is just as good as an ugly one. Romantic people, like the columnist, are tiresome.
Robert Lewandowski, the second to achieve it
The top scoring striker in the five major leagues, Robert Lewandowski, also wanted to put his name on the list of post-Messi free kick scorers. He did it against Valencia. Yes, it's no joke, against the same club as Leo. It was on April 29, 2024, from the left side of the edge of the area. Minute 90+3 of a game that was 3-2 and in which a double from the Pole had saved the Catalans, a free kick in favor of Barça and the '9' asks for it. He shoots and... goal! Right at the opposite post the Rosario native shot, although he scored it to... can you guess? Yes, to Jaume Doménech, just like 'La Pulga'.
Until the day of writing this article, an official free kick goal has not been scored again with the FC Barcelona shirt. Raphinha tries a lot, but he has not yet managed it. It is clear that it is not easy to do so, but how spoiled the Blaugrana fans were by the best player in history. It's been more than three years since his departure, but the author still thinks about the '10' when the Blaugrana team has a dangerous foul in their favour. Maybe he has a lot of free time to think nonsense, who knows.