We all love to see a free-kick so perfectly struck that it defies the very laws of physics and leaves the defending goalkeeper stood, mouth-agape and rooted to the spot upon which they stand.
Roberto Carlos was someone who could give us such a treat, and did so upon many notable occasions in his career. One of his most outstanding strikes was dealt upon Fabian Barthez as he defended the French goal against Brazil in the Tournoi de France in 1997.
From a staggering 40 yards out, Carlos follows his legendary long run-up to the ball with a venomous strike that, for most of its travel time towards the French goal, looked as if it was to go wide.
Almost miraculously, the ball then arced dramatically from its original trajectory, bending its way to clip the inside of the post and burst into the back of the net in such a fashion that it has since been famously known as “the banana”.
Enjoy this now 25 year old beauty of a strike below!
