Brazil’s Rivellino registered a record five World Cup goals from outside the penalty area. Uruguay’s Diego Forlan, Germany’s Lothar Matthaus and Argentina’s Lionel Messi managed four apiece.
Rivellino, nicknamed ‘The Atomic Kick’, scored from distance against Czechoslovakia and Uruguay at Mexico 1970, and Zaire, East Germany and Argentina at Germany 1974. The moustached midfielder’s other World Cup goal came from only inches inside the box: an outside-of-the-boot beauty against Peru in Guadalajara. Matthaus holds the distinction of being the only man to score open-play goals from outside of the box with both feet in a World Cup game. The midfielder pulled it off with glorious goals in a 4-1 win over Yugoslavia at Italy 1990.
Sources: FIFA Official
