CELEBRITY
Video: How Budweiser Game of King ambassador Roberto Carlos shocked the world with famous free kick
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 off 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.
“To be honest, until this day I don’t know how I did that,” he told ESPN Brasil in 2017.
“It was a beautiful goal. It required a lot of training and hard work throughout my career.
“But that hard work paid off, as I was able to score such a wonderful goal, which was a special moment for me.”
When he scored that famous goal, the left-back was just starting his career.
He was in his second season for Real Madrid, and came to Spain after a short term at Inter Milan, who bought the young player from Brazilian champions Palmeiras for $8 million — a fortune in 1995.
In Madrid, he would win title after title, becoming an idol and a legend; his is still an international ambassador for Los Merengues.
While his star rose in the Spanish capital, he became Brazil’s starting left-back in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He won in South Korea/Japan in 2002 having been a runner-up in France four years earlier.
Roberto Carlos continued playing until 2015, when he retired after a short stint with Delhi Dynamos of the Indian Super League.
Throughout the 18 years that passed between his famous free kick against France and his retirement, Roberto Carlos never tried to strike the ball in the same way, as he knew it was practically impossible to repeat such perfection.
“I never tried to kick like that again, because I know I would never have scored,” he says with a laugh.
“There are lots of good kickers nowadays. It might take some time, but someday someone will score a similar goal. But I was the first.”
Roberto Carlos did recreate the kick (on a much smaller scale) in an Instagram post that went viral in 2019. Science, however, is not so sure that such a goal will be repeated in a match…
The impossible kick?
Roberto Carlos’ goal defied physics and still impresses scientists today.
When the famous free kick happened, physicists from all around the world were baffled by the images.
That goal was the catalyst for lots of studies and analysis about aerodynamics and the ball’s curve that day at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon.
One of the most famous studies was conducted by four French scientists — Guillaume Dupeux, Anne Le Goff, David Quere and Christophe Clanet — and published in the New Journal of Physics in September 2010.
In this study, the physicists conduct a series of experiments and analyses, which result in an equation that explains the ball’s trajectory and all the forces that were in action at that precise moment.
“The case of soccer, where ℒ is twice as small as L, is worth commenting on. The ball trajectory can deviate significantly from a circle, provided that the shot is long enough. Then the trajectory becomes surprising and somehow unpredictable for a goalkeeper,” they wrote.
“This is the way we interpret a famous goal by the Brazilian player Roberto Carlos against France in 1997.
This free kick was shot from a distance of approximately 35 metres, that is, comparable to the distance for which we expect this kind of unexpected trajectory.
Provided that the shot is powerful enough, another characteristic of Roberto Carlos’ abilities, the ball trajectory brutally bends towards the net, at a velocity still large enough to surprise the keeper.”
Dupeux, Le Goff, Quere and Clanet conclude that if the correct calculations were made, and the distances and forces were repeated, the famous goal could be replicated by another player.
This, however, is impossible, in the opinion of one of Brazil’s most important physicists. He describes Roberto Carlos’ masterpiece as a “football miracle”.
“Although physics explain perfectly the ball’s trajectory, the conditions in that moment, such as the power of the kick, the point of impact of Roberto Carlos’ foot on the ball, and the distance to the goal, were so rare that we can call that a miracle,” says professor Luis Fernando Fontanari of Sao Roberto Carlos Physics Institute, a branch of the University of Sao Paulo — the most respected university in the country.
Fontanari is one of the editors of “Physics of Life Reviews” and “Theory in Biosciences,” two of the most important scientific journals in the world.
He adds that, if the ball hadn’t stopped in the net, it would have continued in the air, drawing an incredible spiral trajectory, as the image above shows.
“I don’t believe that we will see something like that happening again,” Fontanari said.
Israeli scientist Erez Garty also theorised about Roberto Carlos’ kick. In a YouTube video, he gave a lesson for “physics dummies,” which explains the magic.
-ESPN
The legacy of Brazilian football legend Pelé has taken a new turn after Neymar Santos Sr, father of Brazil star Neymar Jr, confirmed the acquisition of the commercial rights to Pelé’s name and image through his agency, NR Sports.
Speaking at the Pelé Museum in Santos, Brazil, Neymar Sr said the deal marks a new chapter for one of the most iconic brands in global sport.
“We are proud. I think it’s a very strong brand. We want to strengthen its identity and adapt it to the current era,” he said, describing the project as deeply emotional and nationally significant.
Although financial details were not officially disclosed, Brazilian media estimate the acquisition at around $18 million. The rights had previously belonged to US-based company Sport 10, which many in Brazil accused of underdeveloping a national treasure.
A ‘Repatriation’ of Pelé’s Legacy
NR Sports described the agreement as a “repatriation” of Pelé’s brand—bringing back to Brazil “one of the greatest symbols in the history of world sport.”
Pelé’s daughter, Flavia, attended the announcement and welcomed the move, saying the family had tried—and failed—to reacquire the rights after Pelé’s death in 2022.
“There are no words to describe the emotion of bringing back a brand that embodies soul, humanity, and love. It’s priceless,” she told AFP.
The unveiling was accompanied by an emotional tribute at the Pelé Museum, which erected a massive green screen with Pelé’s iconic logo. A video shared on Pelé’s and NR Sports’ official accounts celebrated the “universal language” of Brazilian football, showing some of the King’s most memorable goals from his World Cup triumphs in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
Neymar Jr: ‘Pelé Was Born to Change Everything’
Neymar Jr, who recently returned to Pelé’s former club Santos and has surpassed the King as Brazil’s all-time top scorer, featured in a promotional video congratulating his father’s company.
“Some are born to play, others are born to change the game. Pelé was born to change everything,” the 33-year-old forward said. “Pelé never stopped being one of us, and now he is officially part of Brazil, again and forever.”
A New Era for an Underused Global Brand
For years, Pelé’s image rights were more prominently exploited abroad than at home—a situation that drew criticism from the family and Brazilian football circles. The new deal is expected to revitalise the Pelé brand through modern marketing, partnerships, and heritage initiatives anchored in Brazil.
“This is the beginning of a motivating project for us. We are very moved,” Neymar Sr added.
Pelé, who died in December 2022 at age 82, remains an enduring symbol in Santos, São Paulo state, where he played from 1956 to 1974 and where thousands still visit his mausoleum.
With the rights now back in Brazilian hands, NR Sports says the goal is clear: preserve, expand, and enrich the legacy of the King of Football for generations to come.
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Lionel Messi expressed his wish to one day return to Barcelona’s Camp Nou on Monday, having made a brief visit to see the newly revamped stadium where he spent 21 years of his illustrious career.
The 38-year-old Argentine World Cup winner, who joined Barca’s youth academy at age 13 and went on to become the club’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances, left the Catalan side in 2021 when they could not make it financially viable to keep him.
Having won 10 LaLiga titles, four Champions League crowns and three Club World Cups with Barca, Messi now plays for Inter Miami after two years with Paris St Germain.
Barca reopened the Camp Nou on Friday, 895 days after its closure, unveiling a revamped stadium by staging an open training session attended by 21,795 fans.
“Last night, I returned to a place that I miss with all my heart. A place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel a thousand times like the happiest person in the world,” the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner wrote on Instagram on Monday.
“I hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do.”
Messi extended his contract with Inter Miami in October, and has previously said that the Major League Soccer club would likely be his last.
“You’re always welcome at your home, Leo,” Barca posted on X.
-Reuters
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Argentina has paid a powerful tribute to its greatest football icon, Diego Armando Maradona, by unveiling a special commemorative silver coin celebrating both the late legend’s 65th birthday and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The coin, released on October 30 — the date that would have marked Maradona’s 65th birthday — honours his unforgettable solo goal against England in the 1986 World Cup, often described as “the goal of the century.”
The Central Bank of Argentina announced that the limited-edition coin features a football motif on one side, while the reverse captures Maradona’s legendary dribble from his own half, past five English defenders, before coolly slotting the ball home in Mexico City.
That match, etched in global memory, also produced another of football’s most talked-about moments — the “Hand of God” goal, scored just minutes earlier. Together, those two goals defined not only a game but an era, as Maradona led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, their second in history.
“This coin immortalizes a symbol of Argentine pride — a goal that transcended sport to become a moment of national identity,” said the Central Bank in a statement.
The release is also timed to build excitement ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada — marking 40 years since Maradona’s most celebrated tournament.
Maradona, who passed away in 2020, remains one of football’s most revered figures. His blend of artistry, audacity, and passion continues to inspire generations of players and fans alike.
Across Argentina, tributes poured in from fans, clubs, and former teammates, with many visiting murals, statues, and shrines dedicated to the No.10. In Buenos Aires, street musicians played “Live is Life” — the anthem that once accompanied Maradona’s famous pre-match warm-up routine at Napoli — as a reminder of his enduring magic.
For Argentina, this special-edition coin is more than a collector’s item; it is a national homage to an eternal legend, a man whose left foot and spirit still define the heartbeat of Argentine football.
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