Juninho Pernambucano

Juninho Pernambucano is universally recognized as the greatest free-kick taker in football history, having scored over 77 free-kick goals throughout his career — a historic record. A technical and intelligent midfielder, he was the great maestro of Olympique de Lyon, which dominated French football for seven consecutive seasons in the early 2000s. Born in Pernambuco, he emerged at Sport and reached his peak at Vasco da Gama before moving to France. For the Brazilian National Team, he played in World Cups and won the Confederations Cup, being respected as one of the greatest midfielders in Brazilian football history.