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Roberto Carlos: Wind brought my famous free kick back on target

Roberto Carlos has told L'Equipe that his extraordinary free kick against France a little over two decades ago would never have happened had it not been for the wind.

The former Brazil full-back, 44, sent a swerving thunderbolt past Fabien Barthez from more than 35 metres during a 1-1 draw in the friendly Le Tournoi in June 1997.

His sensational strike at Lyon's Stade de Gerland saw his name make headlines around the world but he said that, without the wind, it would never have happened.

"If I had hit it wrong, it would have gone towards the corner flag," he said.

"But inside the stadium, there was a place where the wind came in from the right. The only thing I wanted to do was get it on target.

"When I hit the ball, I saw it was heading wide -- but then the wind, that famous wind, brought the ball back on target.

"I think it was a miracle, because I haven't seen another like it. There's only one miracle in the world.

"We'll see goals similar to it, but not the same... they're things that happen just once in your life, and it happened to me."