Football Physics: The “Impossible” Free-kick

In 1997, Brazilian football player Roberto Carlos set up a 35-meter free-kick with no direct line to the goal. Carlos’s shot sent the ball flying wide of the players, but just before going out of bounds, it hooked to the left and soared into the net. How did he do it? Where did he learn football physics? Erez Garty describes the physics behind one of the most magnificent goals in football history.