Skip to Content

Scientists Prove That Roberto Carlos’ Banana Kick Was No Fluke

From • September 3, 2010


It's one of the most famous goals in World football and it features on almost every sports highlights reel you will ever see, but scientists have proved that Roberto Carlos' banana kick was no just a one off.

The Brazilian full back set the ball for a free kick just outside the 18 yard box, with the French defenders forming a wall in front of goalkeeper Fabian Barthez. When Carlos stepped up to strike the ball it looked as though the shot was going wide of the goal, and not one French player moved a muscle, not even Barthez. The ball then curled, from going wide, straight into the bottom corner of the French goal, bemusing Barthez and his defence in the process.

Scientists have now proved however that the goal was not a fluke and that it's trajectory made perfect sense. If gravity had not played a role in bringing the ball down it would have continued in a spiral-like movement. Thanks to Roberto Carlos' distance from goal when he took the free kick, it is evident to see the spiral trajectory far more clearly than if he were closer to the goal. The ball turned in the air thanks to the spin that Carlos had put on the ball, and the goal could be repeated if a ball was kicked sufficiently far from the goal.

The wonder goal was scored  in the first match of the Tournoi de France, a friendly tournament held in France just before they hosted the 1998 World Cup. The tournament was won by England, with Brazil finishing as runners up. France meanwhile finished third, while Italy rounded it out by finishing fourth.

French researchers Dr Cristophe Clanet and his colleague David Quere were looking at the trajectory of bullets when they made their findings. The researchers ended up using water and plastic balls with the same density as water to try and simplify the idea. The scientists proved that the most crucial part of the free kick was the distance the ball had to travel before reaching the goal as this directly related to how much of the spiral could be seen.

Roberto Carlos went on to reach the 1998 World Cup final with Brazil, before winning the tournament in Japan and South Korea four years later in 2002. He also went on to win the UEFA Champions League with his club side Real Madrid and became a long serving legend for the team as well as a key player in the 'galacticos' era. The defender, in 2007, moved on to Fenerbahce and finally back to his home nation in 2010 to play for Corinthians. While he is still performing in his native country, he is seen universally as another one of the Brazil greats whose name will go down in history.

[ad#End Post]


8 Comments Share

0