Best bicycle kick of all time: 20 of the greatest bicycle kicks ranked

Which is the best bicycle kick of all time? The top football players boast exceptional skills that enable them to score from nearly any angle. In this article, discover the top 20 bicycle kicks that earned these individuals respect and honour.

Who has the best bicycle kick of all time? A bicycle kick is also known as an overhead kick or volleyed effort. These impressive scores have seen the players perform technical skills and manoeuvre difficult positions to get the ball at the back of the net. Here are the best bicycle kicks of all time, according to Planet Football and other credible sources.

Best bicycle kick of all time

Who is the father of the bicycle kick in football? According to Slate, Ramon Unzaga invented the move in Talchauno, Chilean Port, in 1914. With his body in the air and back to the ground, he shot a goal backwards, scoring what would be known as the bicycle kick.

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As of 2024, Hugo Sánchez Márquez has the most bicycle kicks in football history, as per Sports Big News. Here is a ranked list of the top 20 bicycle kicks of all time:

20. Xherdan Shaqiri

• Full name: Xherdan Shaqiri
• Date of birth: October 10th, 1991
• Nationality: Swiss

Shaqiri is a Swiss winger for the Major League Soccer (MLS) club Chicago Fire and the Switzerland national team. He is the country's second-most capped player (120) and fourth-highest goal scorer.

During his time in Liverpool, Xherdan scored one of the famous bicycle kick goals during his first appearance against Manchester United. The match ended 3-1. In an interview, he said,

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I think I'm used to doing it! No, I scored many times like this, I love bicycle kicks so I [am] always training this sometimes. The ball was perfect and why shouldn't you try? So I tried it and it was a very beautiful goal.

19. Benito Carbone

• Full name: Benito Carbone
• Date of birth: August 14th, 1971
• Nationality: Italian

Benito is a retired football player who played for clubs like Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa, and Derby County. The Italian national played forward, winger, and midfielder. He scored a bicycle kick during the opening match between Sheffield Wednesday and New Castle in the 1997/1998 season. Unfortunately, his team lost 2-1.

18. Tim Cahill

• Full name: Timothy Filiga Cahill
• Date of birth: December 6th, 1979
• Nationality: Australian

Tim is a retired player who scored one of the best bicycle kick goals of all time. During his time with Everton, Cahill scored an incredible bicycle kick in 2007 during a match against Chelsea. He was a striker and box-to-box midfielder.

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17. Rory Delap

• Full name: Rory John Delap
• Date of birth: July 6th, 1976
• Nationality: English

47-year-old Rory Delap is a former player who represented clubs like Southampton. Sunderland, Stoke City, and Barnsley. During his time at Southampton (2004), Delap scored a bicycle kick against Tottenham Spur, helping his team win 1-0.

16. Stan Collymore

• Full name: Stanley Victor Collymore
• Date of birth: January 22nd, 1971
• Nationality: English

Stan Collymore is a former striker who scored one of the greatest bicycle kicks of all time in 2000 during a match between Aston Villa (his team) and Leeds United. Collymore scored over 110 career goals and represented his country for two years (1995-1997).

15. Christian Benteke

• Full name: Christian Benteke Liolo
• Date of birth: December 3rd, 1990
• Nationality: Belgian

Christian Benteke is a Belgian striker who plays for D.C United (MLS) and the Belgian national team. The 33-year-old scored 42 goals with Aston Villa (2012-2015) and 35 with Crystal Palace (2016-2022). Benteke scored a bicycle kick in 2015 for Liverpool against Manchester United.

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14. Peter Crouch

• Full name: Peter James Crouch
• Date of birth: January 30th, 1981
• Nationality: English

Peter James Crouch is a retired player who played for clubs like Liverpool, Tottenham Spur, and Stoke City. Crouch boasts one of the best bicycle kicks ever scored, an achievement he attained in 2006 when his team, Liverpool, beat Galatasaray.

13. Eidur Gudjohnsen

• Full name: Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen
• Date of birth: September 15th, 1978
• Nationality: Icelandic

Eiður played as a forward and midfielder from 1998 to 2019 with teams like the Bolton Wanderers, Stoke City, and Pune City. He scored an overhead kick in 2003 during a game between Chelsea and Leeds United that ended 3-2. He won the Premier League in 2005 and 2006 and the 2009 La Liga title with Barcelona.

12. Dimitar Berbatov

• Full name: Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov
• Date of birth: January 30th, 1981
• Nationality: Bulgarian

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Bulgarian national Dimitar Berbatov is a former player who represented his country from 1999 to 2010 and is the country's top scorer. Berbatov was the team captain from 2006 to 2010. His bicycle kick went down in 2010 during a match between his team, Manchester United and Liverpool.

11. Andy Carroll

• Full name: Andrew Thomas Carroll
• Date of birth: January 6th, 1989
• Nationality: English

Andrew Thomas is an English striker whose bicycle kick in 2017 earned his team (West Ham United) a 3-0 victory against Crystal Palace. He won the Football League Championship in 2010 with New Castle United and the Football League Cup in 2012 with Liverpool.

Top 10 best bicycle kicks of all time

The top 10 bicycle kick list comprises players recognized as the best in their time. Here are the top 10 bicycle kicks of all time:

10. Marco Van Basten

• Full name: Marcel "Marco" van Basten
• Date of birth: October 31st, 1986
• Nationality: Dutch

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Marco Van Basten is a former striker recognized as one of the greatest players of all time. The 59-year-old attained over 300 career goals and retired in 1995. One of his most memorable goals is the 1986 bicycle kick in a match against Vs Den Bosch. Basten is a three-time Ballon d'Or winner (1988, 1989, 1992).

9. Trevor Sinclair

• Full name: Trevor Lloyd Sinclair
• Date of birth: March 2nd, 1973
• Nationality: English

Trevor Sinclair is a former English winger who scored one of the best bicycle kick goals of all time in 1997 with the Queens Park Rangers during a match against Barnsley. His achievement earned him the Match of the Day Goal of the Season. Sinclair was named the Premier League Player of the Month in 1995.

8. Wayne Rooney

• Full name: Wayne Mark Rooney
• Date of birth: English
• Nationality: October 24th, 1985

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Wayne Rooney, the record goal scorer for Manchester United, scored one of the best bicycle kicks of all time in 2011 during a match against Manchester City. The 38-year-old scored 208 goals in the Premier League, making him the third-highest scorer of all time. He also has the fourth-highest number of assists (103).

7. Emre Can

• Full name: Emre Can
• Date of birth: January 12th, 1994
• Nationality: German

Emre Can's 2017 goal against Watford is one of the famous bicycle kick goals. The midfielder plays for Borussia Dortmund and the German national team. He won the Bundesliga in 2013 with Bayern Munich and the Serie A title with Juventus in 2019.

6. Phillipe Mexes

• Full name: Philippe Mexès
• Date of birth: March 30th, 1982
• Nationality: French

French striker Philippe Mexès spent his 17-year career with Auxerre, Roma, and AC Milan. He also played for the French national team. In 2012, he scored an overhead kick during AC Milan's match against Anderlecht. Mexès won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2003 and the Supercoppa Italiana in 2011.

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5. Rivaldo

• Full name: Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira
• Date of birth: April 19th, 1972
• Nationality: Brazillian

Rivaldo is a former multi-talented player who was a forward, striker, and attacking midfielder. In 1999, he won the Ballon d'Or and was named FIFA World Player of the Year. The Brazillian athlete scored a bicycle kick in 2001 against Valencia.

4. Alejandro Garnacho

• Full name: Alejandro Garnacho Ferreyra
• Date of birth: July 1st, 2004
• Nationality: Spanish

Alejandro is a Spanish footballer winger for Manchester United and the Argentine national team. He made his senior debut in 2002. In 2023, three minutes into United's game against Everton, Garnacho scored an impressive bicycle kick. The goal ranks among the best overhead kicks in the Premier League's history.

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

• Full name: Zlatan Ibrahimović
• Date of birth: October 3rd, 1981
• Nationality: Swedish

Zlatan scored a bicycle kick during the 2012 match between Sweden and England. In the international friendly match, he also scored an incredible hat trick.

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Ibra scored a bicycle kick in 2012 during the match between Sweden and England. In the international friendly match, he also scored an incredible hat trick. Ibrahimovic played for Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and LA Galaxy.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

• Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo
• Date of birth: February 5th, 1985
• Nationality: Portuguese

Widely recognized as the Greatest of All Time, Cristiano Ronaldo boasts one of the best bicycle kicks ever scored. He attained this achievement in 2018 during Real Madrid's match against Juventus. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has the highest number of appearances in the Champions League (183) and the highest number of goals (140) as of 2024.

1. Gareth Bale

• Full name: Gareth Frank Bale
• Date of birth: July 16th, 1989
• Nationality: Welsh

Gareth Bale played for Real Madrid between 2013 and 2022. During the 2018 Champions League final, he scored one of the best bicycle kicks, helping his team win the 13th title in a 3-1 victory. Bale is one of the best Welsh players of his time.

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Frequently asked questions

The bicycle kick reflects the technicality of the goal and the position the player has to take to connect with the ball and shove it at the back of the net. Here are some frequently asked questions about overhead kicks.

Who has the most bicycle kick goals?

Hugo Sánchez Márquez has over 10 overhead goals, the highest number in football history. He is a retired Mexican forward who netted over 500 career goals.

Which is the best bicycle kick in football history?

According to online sources, Gareth Bale's kick in the 2018 Champions League final is the best in history (As of 2024). The goal helped his team (Real Madrid) win the 13th title.

Final word

The athlete with the best bicycle kick of all time possesses strength, skill, and the ability to grab the opportunity at the right time. Several overhead kicks have seen even the opposition salute the player's prowess in appreciation of his efforts.

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READ ALSO: Footballers with the most headed goals in the sport's history

Sports Brief published an article listing the best-headed goals in football history. The unique goal technique is a fan favourite because it is difficult for the goalkeeper to save. Which are some of the memorable headers?

Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with 145-headed goals. Others include Gerd Müller (144) and retired Spanish player Carlos Alonso González. Check the above article for a complete list of players with the most headers.