3) Roberto Carlos
The 1997 edition of the Le Tournoi match between Brazil and the host nation France left dozens of physicists in utter confusion. The reason was Roberto Carlos’s free kick that defied the laws of physics.
Famously known as “The banana kick”, Carlos put the dead ball 35 metres out from the goal and then made a blazing run from another 10 meters out and hit the ball at a speed of 137 kmph. As the ball taken off from the pitch it took a left sided flight from the 5 men French wall, then as it went near the post, it suddenly curled right and into the goal, leaving Fabien Barthez unmoved.
Years later, the physicists proved that the kick was no fluke and it was purely scientific in nature.
Science might have taken its hands off after the proof of concept but the world of football maniacs still loves to see the jaw dropping wonder kick of Carlos.
