The Origins of the Bicycle Kick

The bicycle kick might be the most difficult move in soccer. Requiring acrobatic prowess coupled with precision and force, only a select few players have been able to turn this play into a successful goal. But where did this move come from? The origins of the bicycle kick have been fiercely contested, with three countries all claiming the kick for their own. In Chile, history has it that Ramón Unzaga first invented the kick in 1914. In Peru, legend has it that the first kick came into play in 1892 during a match against British sailors. But in Brazil, Leônidas da Silva is revered as the kick’s creator. But even if history can’t pin down whether it came from Chile, Peru or Brazil, one thing is clear: the bicycle kick is truly a Latin American invention.

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