India, March 23 -- Lionel Messi has taken another step up one of football's most iconic scoring ladders, moving to 71 career free-kick goals and going clear of Pele in the all-time list. The Inter Miami and Argentina superstar is now second on the chart, with only Brazilian Juninho Pernambucano ahead of him.

It is the latest addition to a skill Messi has turned from an occasional weapon into one of the deadliest parts of his game. For years, his genius was discussed through dribbles, assists and impossible left-foot finishes. Now, free-kicks have become an equally defining part of his legacy.

Messi's latest strike takes him past Pele's 70 and leaves him six short of Juninho's 77, the highest figure on the list. It is another reminder of...