It was 23 years ago since one of the most spectacular, iconic and physics-defying goals was scored on a football field.
In the summer of 1997, Brazil were playing France in the opening game of a friendly tournament called Le Tournoi.
Roberto Carlos, the iconic left-back stepped up and smashed a free-kick from fully 35 yards with his left foot.
It appeared for all the world to be heading out harmlessly if quickly for a goal-kick some 20 yards wide of the post.
However, amazingly, it curled back round and found its way past Fabien Barthez, kissing the left-hand post on the way in.
The deceived French goalkeeper had hardly moved.
Roberto Carlos himself admits he is still baffled as to how it went in.
He said: “I have no clue how I scored it. I used to practise my free-kicks a lot. I would stay behind in training and hit them and, on this particular occasion, it came off well for me. I just hit it and it went in.”
