Atletico Madrid faced Real Madrid as underdogs after a tough period in La Liga. Head coach Diego Simeone surprised everyone by leading the team to a significant win against their rivals. Julian Alvarez’s stunning free-kick goal was the highlight of the match, drawing comparisons to Lionel Messi’s notable free-kick achievements against Real Madrid.
Julian Alvarez has quickly become an essential player for Atletico Madrid. Despite rumors suggesting he might leave, he has outperformed Antoine Griezmann during the 2025-26 season. He scored his first free-kick goal against Real Madrid, marking his third since joining the team.
Lionel Messi holds the record with 69 free-kick goals in his career. Most of these came from his time at Barcelona, but he has only scored two against Real Madrid. These were significant goals scored on August 29 and October 7, 2012. Alvarez is now just two goals away from matching this achievement.
Cristiano Ronaldo maintains lead over Julian Alvarez in free-kick goals
While Julian Alvarez is close to challenging Messi’s free-kick record against Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo still leads with three free-kick goals in the Madrid Derby, solidifying his reputation in this area.
Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid CF.
Although Julian has made a strong impression in La Liga, he still has a long way to go to match the free-kick records of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He has scored just five free kicks so far, indicating room for improvement. His potential is evident, and he has time to make his mark in free-kick scoring.
Despite having a different style compared to Messi and Ronaldo, Julian Alvarez has made his mark in soccer history with Atletico Madrid following the remarkable Madrid derby win. The team broke a 75-year record by defeating Real Madrid and scoring five goals. Alvarez’s outstanding performance made him the match’s top scorer and established him as the team’s leading goal scorer.