Since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure in 2018, Real Madrid has been faced with a noticeable gap in their ability to execute free kicks effectively. According to statistics from the Spanish newspaper Marca, the team has seen a dramatic decline in the average goals scored from direct free kicks, dropping from 6.1 per season during Ronaldo's tenure to just 1.6 post-departure. Ronaldo is renowned as the club's most successful free-kick taker, having netted 33 goals from set pieces, a record unmatched by others within the team.

The article highlights how Real Madrid transitioned from having prominent specialists in set pieces to a stark absence of reliable free-kick scorers. While players like Gareth Bale, Mesut Özil, and James Rodríguez once made significant contributions, their departure and retirement have left the team with few alternatives. Currently, only a handful of players, including Kylian Mbappé and David Alaba, have managed to score relatively low numbers of free-kick goals, indicating a pressing need for a dedicated specialist to fill this gap.

The implications of this decline not only affect the team's scoring dynamics but also their competitive edge, particularly in high-stakes matches where set-piece opportunities can be pivotal. As they search for solutions to this evident deficiency, the Real Madrid management may need to consider acquiring a new talent focused on enhancing their free-kick strategies to reclaim former scoring efficiencies and maintain their status in both domestic and European competitions.