The 1997 Tournoi de France was a largely forgettable nine days in June of that year.
Set up as a warm-up event for the following summer's World Cup, France invited Brazil, Italy and England to play in a round-robin event as World Cup-fever began to intensify.
While the tournament itself was rather drab, it is best remembered for a moment of brilliance from Roberto Carlos. The defender scored what is widely regarded as one of the best free-kicks of all time.
In the opening game against France, Carlos took a shot from over 30-yards out, that left goalkeeper Fabien Barthez motionless in goals. That goal in Lyon was scored on June 3rd, 1997. 19 years later it still defies logic.
When watching the goal at first, it simply looks like poor defending from Barthez. The ball kisses off the inside of the right post but was nowhere near the top corner. It's only when you see it from a reverse angle, you realise why the then-Monaco goalkeeper could only watch the ball sail past.
Until that very last moment, the ball was going wide. Even today, you still expect the ball to sail wide. It never does, and it still amazes.
The following summer the two teams would meet again in the World Cup final. Carlos and Barthez would play in that match too, as France won 3-0.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
