85 days to go…
We’re counting down to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ by showcasing a golazo from the global finals each day.
Roberto Carlos
Brazil v China PR
Korea/Japan 2002 | Group C
Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo
It appeared an astute tactical foul. Ronaldinho had jinked inside and was heading towards goal when checked by Li Weifeng. Then the Chinese players realised which titanic left leg would be pulling the resulting trigger. “A free-kick to Roberto Carlos was like a penalty to the rest of us,” said Ronaldo.
Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, set-piece specialists themselves, hovered over the adidas Fevernova. Jiang Jin wasn’t fooled. His panicked expression was palpable. The goalkeeper has been awestruck by Roberto Carlos’s gravity-defying goals against France and Barcelona. As he readied for football’s most terrifying run-up, he screamed at his team-mates to disregard the danger of leaving Brazilians unmarked and reinforce their wall.
Six Chinese players combined to leave a merely a meagre gap. Roberto Carlos nevertheless found it, thundering the ball into the net before its guardian could react. It set Brazil en route to a 4-0 victory and, with a game to spare, a knockout-phase space. It also left Roberto Carlos having scored one of the greatest free-kicks in World Cup history.
