Roberto Carlos' Brazil free kick in 1997: The physics behind 'impossible' strike
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This article was first published on June 3, 2017 and has been edited.
On June 3, 1997, Roberto Carlos stunned the world with one of the most spectacular free kicks in football history. The left-back scored the most famous goal of his career: an outrageous long-range free kick for Brazil in a 1-1 draw against France in the opening game of the 1997 Tournoi de France, a warm-up tournament ahead of the following year's World Cup.
The strike left goalkeeper Fabien Barthez perplexed, as the ball apparently was heading well wide of the target and into the crowd. However, it swerved back, glanced the inside edge of the post, and stopped only when it hit the net. Two decades later, Roberto Carlos says he is still impressed when he sees footage of his kick.