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Hitting the ball dead center with almost no spin so it wobbles unpredictably through the air. Named after the baseball pitch that does the same thing. It dips, swerves, and moves erratically because the airflow over the surface is uneven. Keepers hate it because they can't read where it's going. Ronaldo made it famous from free kicks, though others have used it for years.
Cristiano Ronaldo's knuckleball free kick against Portsmouth in 2008 announced his mastery of the technique to the world - the ball started left, dipped, then swerved right at the last moment, leaving David James rooted to the spot.
Robbie
Jan 21, 2026
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