Even neestrup raves
© Imago
Alejandro Grimaldo from Bayer 04 Leverkusen is the most successful free-kick shooter in the top European leagues in 2025. A look at the transfer market database shows that his goal on Thursday evening in the Champions League duel with Copenhagen was already the fourth directly converted of the Spaniard. The 29-year-old is at the forefront in the ranking-followed by the former Heidenheimer and Neu-Southampton professional Leo Scienza.
“I said to my assistants: if we allow three free kicks from this distance, someone goes in. ‘ When you see the last seven days, Grimaldo is not only in the top 10 in the world, he is currently the best, ”said Copenhagen’s coach Jacob Neestrup after his team’s 2-2 against the Bundesliga club. Leverkusen’s new coach Kasper Hjulmand attested his protégé “Pure World Class” and added: “It is totally crazy about what happens here. He was irritated that he could not transform the first free kick in the first half. He can really feel where the goal is. This is an incredible class for free kicks.”
Grimaldo, who now has the quota of 54 scorers after 104 competitive games for Bayer, has left players like Naples Kevin de Bruyne (2 direct free kick), Arsenals Declan Rice (2) or Manchester United Bruno Fernandes (2). With Mainz professional Nadiem Amiri (2) there is another player from the Bundesliga among the best free kick shooters in the European elite. However, Scienza occupies the immediate place behind Grimaldo with three goals – all of the left wing, who had migrated in the summer, also achieved Southampton in the jersey of the 1. FC Heidenheim.
“What do you want to say? Grima has a strong foot. He did it again today,” thanked Bayer goalkeeper Mark Flekken on Thursday to his teammate, who had only made the first Leverkusen point of the new Champions League season with his goal. It was already Grimaldo’s third free kick in the current season. To date, no player has come to such a number from the top European leagues.
If you only look at the season 2025/26, you notice that in addition to Grimaldo, four other players from the German Oberhaus are among the most accurate shooters: Wolfsburg’s Maximilian Arnold, Amiri, Union Berlin Robert Skov and St. Paulis Danel Sinani each included. Just like Elches Rafa Mir, Liverpools Dominik Szoboszlai, Atléticos Julián Alvarez, de Bruyne and Comos Nico Paz. To date, no player has made it from the top 5 leagues.